The Town of Newmarket wants drivers to slow down, with traffic control measures slated for approval on several streets, including Alex Doner Drive and Stonehaven Avenue.
At its committee of the whole meeting this morning, June 14, council approved "category one" control measures for both Alex Doner, from Sykes Road to Kirby Crescent, and Stonehaven Avenue. The measures come after traffic studies at both sites and could include solar speed boards and lawn boulevard speed reminder signs.
Consideration for further measures, such as all-way stops, is being delayed until after the pandemic, to better gauge the traffic on the residential collector roads. For Alex Doner, it would also await the completion of the nearby Glenway West residential development.
Councillor Christina Bisanz questioned waiting and said she is hearing many speeding concerns in her ward.
“It is the observation of people who live on this street that (it's) maybe not all cars, but there is speeding that goes on,” Bisanz said, adding the municipality should consider more control measures to add to category one. “People are worried and my sense is they are seeing something that is more than just a few cars in the middle of the night.”
The staff reports will also be forwarded to York Regional Police to enforce traffic in those areas as they deem necessary.
In 2021 traffic studies, Alexis Doner had average speeds ranging from 37 km/h to 44 km/h, depending on the road segment. For Stonehaven, it has an average speed of 49 km/h.
Director of engineering services Rachel Prudhomme said every year in spring, there is a surge in requests for speed reductions as people get out more.
“I’m not saying there is not speeding,” Prudhomme said. “But the measurements are the only way we can tell if it is speeding or if it is perception of speeding."
In Stonehaven’s case, staff also noted it is a candidate for bike lanes, which could slow speeds in the future. Staff also recommended painting a centre line median through the curved section of the road.
“This measure has been found to be successful at reducing speeds and vehicle collisions,” the staff report said.
However, Mayor John Taylor suggested a workshop in the fall on speeding concerns and traffic calming, to which council members agreed. Taylor said addressing speeding is a council priority, but added solutions must be policy-driven.
“If we don’t have something that has data-driven decision making related to this topic, we will have stop signs and speed bumps up on every street," he added.
Councillor Grace Simon also said non-permanent speed bumps and more speed limit reductions are worth considering.
“It’s definitely time for us to open up the policy book and look at some things,” Simon said. “We’re growing, we’re intensifying, and we need to be open to some different things.”
Decisions made at committee of the whole meetings must receive final approval at future council meetings.
