Finding the right traffic calming solutions for neighborhood roads

In the case of River Run

I spoke to a number of residents on River Run this week about traffic volumes and speeding. I have been very engaged in order to improve this situation and in fact the first public delegation that I ever did with the city was in February 2022 (before the election!) in order to address the concerns with the Minto development and the impacts of the 600 new houses on local traffic in the absence of the Greenbank Realignment. 

So what is my office doing about this? 

First, I recognize that the principle pressure point to this whole area is the lack of the realigned Greenbank road.  We have secured tens of millions of dollars over the past two budget cycles which have allowed for the environmental assessment, preliminary design, detailed design and soon a contract tender.  Add to this the new development charges from the Food Basics and retail on Cambrian, we will now be able to start construction a full five years early; starting the spring of 2026. 

But that doesn’t solve the immediacy of the traffic safety concerns today.  I had staff look at blocking the entrance to River Run at Half Moon Bay – this is not doable because of emergency vehicles, snow and garbage removal.  We looked into one way options, but again staff could not support.  Given that there was a child hit by a vehicle on River Run by Half Moon Bay public school we were successful in installing an automated speed camera on River Run at that site, but the provincial policy on this option is now in question - electrical infrastructure is being installed but the city has put the installation of the physical poles/camera units on hold right now as it seeks clarity from the province.

Further on school safety, we are installing a pedestrian crosswalk at River Run and Dovetail hts. I just received an update today that the contractor will be starting work on this in the coming weeks.

Finally, we looked at the option of seasonal bulb outs. These bulb outs reduce two parking spots, but bulb outs do have a data proven track record of reducing speed and redistributing volume.  We have chosen to move forward with these bulb outs in order to address this acute safety concern.  Now, I am well aware that there is concern about the reduced parking, but I can only do so much and omelets require broken eggs.  The nice thing about this investment is that over the fall we will be able to assess functionality and should community feedback assess that the value of the bulb outs does not outweigh the loss of parking, then we can undo that calming measure next spring.  In effect, this is a pilot that allows us to try and make the street a bit safer as I have heard time and time again is a priority. 

Should you have any concerns on this, please reach out.  I certainly look forward to seeing the construction commence for the Greenbank Realignment which is the ultimate fix, and to getting more fidelity on the value of the interim solution.