Traffic Calming Results Mixed
Posted by auroracitizen on November 12, 2008
Good News! A report has been issued about the traffic calming measures in the Northeast quadrant of town. The skinny is that traffic counts are generally down, but the chicanes don’t seem to be effective.
Council has taken the initial step to install some speed cushions along Mark Street, but referred the balance to the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee.
One of the early criticisms of these measures was that all members of the public hadn’t been consulted. Hopefully now the broader public will have the opportunity to engage with this committee versus just a few interested residents.
Another question that needs to be addressed is, “What happened to the traffic that was cutting through this neighbourhood, and what has the impact of that change been to other residents?” Hopefully someone will provide some insight on this issue.
Traffic is like water, it goes to the path of least resistance. Since Yonge and Wellington hasn’t been fixed, one has to wonder if the traffic has just become a problem for another neighbourhood.
This is a good news story. In fact, even the Mayor is quoted as stating “We want to remain open and transparent as we mover forward on this.”
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Aurora Citizen 
Pedestrian said
Traffic calming is really “unnerving” for those who have to navigate the chicanery on Walton Dr and Mark St ….. one only has to count the numerous black tire scuff marks on the 90 degree curbs of those chicanes …… I think a front end alignment business in Aurora sounds like a good bet ….. In the winter when sidewalks have not been cleared and pedestrians are forced onto the road to walk down Walton toward Wellington, it becomes a real hazard as suddenly you may find yourself forced to share the narrow confines of the road with cars at close quarters in slippery conditions….. I consider myself a veteran observer of these incidents on a daily basis as for the past 30 years I have been a rider on the Aurora GO train ….. As for the speed “humps” … well they are in disrepair, some even have eroded sections (pot holes) that fill with water waiting to catch the sidewalk victim with a spray as a car races by… mind you those pot holes do slow down some riders…. a much more cost effective measure would be “speed bumps” not humps …. place the speed bumps at the 4 -way stops …. can you imagine that ???? cars might actually stop at the stop signs …. and if they don’t they will not forget to the next time…. may even save a life or property damage at some future date ….. Two more observations while I’m on this rant …. the irony of all this is that once cars have negotiated the obstacle course going north on Walton Dr…. they come to the Mark and Walton stop sign then immediately take off in total disregard to the 40 KLM limit of the school zone …. I have seen frustrated drivers speed past the school …assuming they are making up for lost time …. and the last thing move the old traffic light for that served Well St school for many years to a useful intersection like Walton and Wellington so I may cross the road in safety on my daily journey to the Go train …. ( have you ever tried to cross during rush hour ) …. I hopefully plan to “retire in peace” next year, not RIP ………..
Anonymous said
I would hate to live in this neck of the woods. You are doomed if you do and doomed if you don’t. I can only image how going home to the street of zigzag every night and now the street of zigzag bump bump. I wonder how many of you will ask the Mayor if the town can now pay for all the repairs on your vehicles as a result of all the wonderful traffic measure you have in font of your homes. I too would be worried about who will want to purchase my home and at what price. I have been driving my kids to school that has speed bumps in the parking lot. I have had to replace my brakes a little more often then usual and have just recently replaced my shocks.I can only imagine!
Anonymous said
” a motley crew of ‘students'”??????
Anonymous said
“Even the Mayor”: whose axe is being ground in this blog run by people who dare not speak their own names?
Grind grind grind.
Anonymous said
It’s great to know about the speeds of cars travelling in that neighbourhood and the number of vehicles using those roads. I sure hope the study hears from the residents as to how their quality of life has been impacted. I don’t see how people sitting in cars counting vehicles can address this important part of the equasion. How has this affected their property values? How do they feel about not being able to park in front of their houses? How safe do they feel knowing the number of accidents or near misses that have occurred? What are the options and what are they going to cost? Why would they have not just gone to some speed bumps in the first place? My, oh my! What a waste of time and money.
Anonymous said
Has anyone asked the methodology of this study, and it’s accuracy rate plus or minus? Were the days and times consistent with the original study? Was it the same firm who undertook this study? Was it apples to apples?
I witnessed a motley crew of ‘students’ counting cars one day. Their positioning seemed odd to me, and I seem to recall it was on a quiet Sunday afternoon.
As for the Yonge and Wellington ‘fix’, the pavement has been put down, and the markings have been painted, so I think the fix is as it will be for now.
I particularly wonder about the east bound traffic on Wellington suddenly finding that the lane they are in at Yonge Street has a left-turn arrow directing them to turn south onto Yonge. One assumes you can’t continue on through the intersection as it doesn’t indicate that you can, and screaching brakes have been the result.