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“BRENNER HELPED ORGANIZE AND MOBILIZE GROUP”
Fri Jun 13, 2008
By Kristen Calis
News Adverstiser
PICKERING -- The residents of Fairport Road just want to live on a street everyone can enjoy.
The Fairport Road Citizens for Traffic Calming has met almost weekly since January to find appropriate traffic calming measures to help ease excessive speeding on the street. Group member Sarah Whittaker made a presentation to Pickering council's executive committee on Monday, explaining the goal is to transform the road from a straightaway to a safe community thoroughfare, and to reduce the speed within six kilometres of the limit (40 kilometres per hour) between Sheppard and Finch Avenues.
Installing traffic calming measures will reduce speed, noise and emissions, and create a healthier and more social environment since residents will be more willing to walk and ride bikes with fewer speeding cars, Ms. Whittaker said.
The group sat on the street for a couple of hours one night and found of 340 passing cars, 93 per cent went 15-to-25 kilometres over the limit, two buses travelled more than 20 kilometres over the limit, and four cars sped at more than 90 km/h.
"The top speed was recorded at 99 kilometres per hour," Ms. Whittaker said. "We wish we could have gotten that licence plate."
Gayle Clow, another Fairport group member, presented the ideal measures: roundabouts; raised medians, intersections and crosswalks; visual distractions, such as street painting or signs; and shared roadway lines so bikes and cars can share the street.
"Motorists should become aware our road is not just a place to drive," she said.
The group expects the improvements will cost about $250,000, including inflation and unknown costs.
"That's an excellent piece of work that's been done," Mayor Dave Ryan said, adding the public should probably have to be consulted again. He said staff is already working to get some measures in place, which is "largely due to this committee."
The only criticism Ward 2 City Councillor Doug Dickerson had is there may be too many areas in which these traffic measures will go (more than 10).
The median is a concern to Ward 2 Regional Councillor Bill McLean, but Ms. Clow said it'll be short. He also said others are concerned their neighbourhoods should get speeding attention too. Ms. Clow said the group would be happy to help.
Community activist Maurice Brenner helped organize and mobilize the group, and provided them with resources and tools. He said he's excited Pickering residents realize they can influence important decisions that are made, and more work is to come.
The staff report will come to council in October. The proposal can be found at www.fairportroad.com.
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