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File photo of an accident from 2023.

District examining interim safety measures for Flats section of Bracebridge

With another serious collision over the weekend in the Ball’s Flats area of Hwy 118 in Bracebridge over the weekend, the District might not have time to wait for the results of a traffic study on the area.

As such Mark Misko, the District of Muskoka director of engineering and transportation, said during yesterday’s District engineering and public works committee meeting that they will be looking at interim measures to increase safety in the area.

Misko confirmed the District has engaged a consultant to conduct a traffic analysis of the area. 

“We recognize that there may be some capital infrastructure that needs to be put in place to address some of the safety concerns,” Misko told the committee. “I anticipate we will report on that by the end of the year.”

In recent years numerous collisions have been reported in the Flats area, which is high traffic area home to many business entrances. Those accidents include a serious motorcycle collision on Oct. 21, 2024 and a motorcycle fatality in September of 2023.

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7 Comments

  1. HEATHER K. MARCHILDON says:

    This is such a mute point. I was cut off twice last Thursday. Once turning left from Wellington St. (Hwy 118 E) and Entrance Drive at the traffic lights. I had started my turn on a green light and gauged the oncoming traffic coming west on Hwy 118. All the traffic coming west slowed to safely proceed through the intersection mindful of the expected light change. I edged forward as the light was turning yellow and a car coming westbound which was going slow enough to safely stop decide to accelerate through the intersection forcing me to complete my turn on a red light. Courtesy from others on the roadway has become a thing of the past with individuals driving with their own needs as the priority. Another driver recklessly turned left out of the Shoppers Drug Mart onto Manitoba St causing me to jam on my brakes to avoid a certain collision. The problem is not going to be resolved by installing concrete barriers to prevent left hand turns. The expectation that ALL DRIVERS adhere to the rules of the roads would drastically reduce these kind of incidents. I lived down on the flats for over 10 years with minimal accidents occurring in that time frame. Accidents do occur, being so radically reactive and installing concrete barriers is not the answer. Simply being mindful and courteous of others on the roadways will go a long way in reducing unnecessary collisions.

  2. Phil Beacock says:

    WHY THE CONSULTANTS? We have a a problem and the engineers at the district can’t solve it. Put a divider! High school education. Oh sorry no one what’s to take the responsibility of making a decision! Why a joke!

  3. Eric McHugh says:

    Close the entrance into Canadian Tire. All traffic into that large plaza should use the traffic lights at the east end. Simple stuff, really.

  4. paul scriven says:

    Maybe people should learn to drive

  5. Dave Clark says:

    Totally agree with the last comment on putting a concrete divider down 118 to the Food Basics corner making drivers use the intersections to cross it. It’s crazy watching drivers pull out of Macdonalds and the Can Tire gas pumps to go east.

  6. Sherry Toni Hill says:

    We don’t need a traffic analysis done. It’s simple. Put a divider between the east/west lanes from the Tim Horton’s intersection lights down to the lights at Food Basic’s intersection. Each side can only make right hand turns out of the different businesses. They can turn at the lights if they need to go in the opposite direction. Take the option of crossing traffic away.

  7. Gert Frobe says:

    Seems more people have to be seriously injured before the District acts. Even then they are in the slow lane. This stretch of road has been a hazard for at least 25 years. As another commentator stated it’s been a planning disaster perpetuated by a failure of the Town’s Planning department and Council.

    Fix the problem. Can’t we have some urgency? At the very least the taxpayer will save the medical costs of dealing with the serious injuries and families will be spared the heartaches. GET IT DONE!