Traffic calming being voted on by Walkerville residents - Action News
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Windsor

Traffic calming being voted on by Walkerville residents

Following the release of a video showing a collision at a Walkerville intersection last weekend, traffic calming measures in the city are again under a spotlight this time during an election.

Mayoral candidates weigh in on traffic calming initiatives in the city

City of Windsor sign invited residents to take part in a traffic calming survey.
Residents along Richmond Street from Gladstone Avenue to Pierre Avenue have until Sept. 5 to vote on whether they'd like to see speed humps put in along the roadway there. (Jacob Barker/CBC)

Following the release of a video showing a collision at a Walkerville intersection last weekend, traffic calming measures in the city are again under a spotlight this time during an election.

A resident that lives near the corner of Richmond Street and Gladstone Avenue in Walkerville posted a video calling for traffic calming at the corner featuring the collision. Itshows a car skidding on its side following a collision and ends with the sound of a crying child.

"Enough is enough." is emblazoned across the screen as the final thought in the video.

"It's certainly something of concern," Jeff Hagan, transportation planning senior engineer for the City of Windsor said after viewing the video of the crash.

Residents CBC spoke with in the area were asking for an all way stop at the intersectionor for speed humps to be installed.

Man stands.
Jeff Hagan is the transportation planning senior engineer for the City of Windsor. (Jacob Barker/CBC)

Hagan said that the idea of a stop sign being added on Gladstone Avenue hasn't been approved in the pastbecause that stretch of Gladstone Avenue acts as a transit route.

Installing speed humps is a possibility, he said. Residents who live on Richmond Street, between Gladstoneand Pierre Avenues can vote through an online survey to have the humps installed. They have until Sept.4.

"It would be up to council but our recommendation would be that they go ahead," Hagan said.

Candidates weigh in

This incident also highlights the issue of traffic calming in the city during a municipal election.

Mayor Drew Dilkens, currently a candidate in the upcoming municipal election, had not seen the video but said that traffic calming has been made a priority by council.

Along with the speed hump program, he also pointed toward the unanimous decision of council to move$1 million to a fund dedicated to traffic calming.

He also mentioned the city's adoption of a Vision Zero Policy during this term. That policyuses input from various community groups and data to push toward agoal of zero fatal and serious injury collisions in the city, though he said, residents have to want the changes.

Man smiles
Mayor and candidate Drew Dilkens points toward several initiatives the city has done to forward traffic calming in the city. (Drew Dilkens Campaign)

"We will always work with neighbours to try and make solutions for their neighbourhoods, they're the ones that are going to know what those solutions are better than myself or any member of council," Dikens said.

"We have the money in place, so if residents want to have the conversation about certain intersections, certain traffic calming measures, they always have an open ear with me."

Chris Holt, the Ward 4 councillor who is challenging Dilkensin the upcoming election, is also the chair of of the Vision Zero Stakeholder Group. He recently held an event centred around road safety where he listed a number of recommendations they have made, including speed limit reductions.

That idea, which would have lowered the speed limitin residential areas was put on the back burner when council voted to send it back to administration for review last year.

Man smiles
Chris Holt, who is the current councillor for Ward 4, is also running for mayor. He is also the chair of the Vision Zero Stakeholder Group. (Kamryn Cusumano)

"Lowering the default speed limit from 50 to 40 kilometres an hour drastically increases the chances you are going to survive a collision," Holt said.

When asked about the Walkerville accident, mayoral candidateBenjamin Danyluksaid that he's lived in the area all his life and he believes cameras should be put up to catch offenders.

Matthew Giancolasaid,"I feel that the implementation of traffic calming measures should be carefully evaluated on a case-by-case basis, but I preferspeed humps over photo radar and reduced speed limits."

Remenants of a weekend crash in Walkerville remain on the sidewalk the next day.
Remnants of a weekend crash in Walkerville remain on the sidewalk the next day. (Jacob Barker/CBC)

CBC has reached out to the all the mayoral candidates.