Traffic blocks on Wellington Street North may be gone for good, but councillors say it was a worthwhile pilot project.
During the latest Bracebridge general committee meeting, council agreed that no further permanent traffic calming measures will be enacted on Wellington Street North that restrict traffic movements, pending the completion of a Transportation Master Plan.
The Wellington Street North Traffic Calming Pilot Project was initiated on July 6, 2021 and involved closing the southbound lane at the north end of Wellington Street North.
The project was sparked after council heard concerns from a number of area residents on Wellington Street North regarding large vehicle traffic travelling on the roadway, non-compliance with the regulatory stop sign, and a request for traffic control measures to limit large vehicle traffic.
Nonetheless, once the blockade was in place many neighbours in the area of Wellington Street North were upset by the problems caused by the new detour and sent a petition to the Town, asking for the blockade to be removed.
Despite the decision to take down the blockade, Mayor Graydon Smith said launching the pilot project was the correct move.
“We gathered info and we made a decision,” he said. “It’s easy for people to say we knew this would happen but…this is the solid way to make decisions, not by guessing at it. I’m happy to take a swing and miss once in a while for the greater good of data collection.”
Geoff Carleton, the Town’s director of public works said the data they collected indicates that there is no speeding problem on the street, but the perception of speeding might be a result of high traffic volume, which they also recorded.
While the pilot project is now over, based on the data collected council did decide to allocate $9,000 in the draft budget for the installation of signalized school zone markers for Tamarack Trail.
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