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Sorry, cranky drivers. Nothing's going to change at Peoples Road and Third Line

All-way stops are only considered when an intersection has four or more collisions a year over a three-year period
20160411 Ward 5 Councillor Marchy Bruni KA
FILE PHOTO: Ward 5 Councillor Marchy Bruni. Kenneth Armstrong/SooToday

In a seven-to-five vote, City Council decided tonight to do absolutely nothing about driver complaints regarding the intersection of Third Line and Peoples Road.

Carl Rumiel, city design and construction engineer, said field data collected on pedestrian and vehicular traffic and collisions at the intersection don't come close to meeting provincial standards for traffic lights or all-way stops.

"The Ontario Traffic Manual states that unjustified traffic control signals can lead to excessive delay, increased use of fuel, increased air pollution, increased noise, motorist frustration, greater disobedience of the signals and increased use of alternate routes to avoid the signals," Rumiel said in a written report.

"The OTM also states that the use of all-way stop signs is not recommended on truck routes such as Peoples Road and Third Line East."
 
The provincial manual says all-way stops should only be considered when an intersection has four or more collisions a year over a three-year period.
 
"There have been six collisions at this intersection over the past three years, two per year," Rumiel said.

Rumiel's report was in response to the following resolution passed by City Council on on Jan. 23:

Mover: Councillor M. Bruni
Seconder: Councillor F. Fata

Whereas Third Line has had a very large increase in traffic, both commercial and residential; and

Whereas the intersection of Third Line and Peoples Road has become a very busy intersection with continual back-up traffic and frustrated drivers; and

Whereas this intersection will probably continue to increase in traffic, from all directions, resulting in more frustrated drivers and more traffic accidents;

Now therefore be it resolved that staff be requested to report to council with a report on possible changes to the current status of this intersection, that may very well get worse if nothing is done (i.e. four-way stop signs).

Ward 5 Councillor Bruni said that a transport coming out of Boniferro Mill Works would have just 20 to 30 seconds to cross the street there from a dead stop. 

"A transport cannot do it in that time frame before another vehicle would be coming down the road," Bruni said.

Here's how your councillors voted on receiving Rumiel's report as information, taking no action:
  • Councillor Lou Turco - against
  • Councillor Frank Fata - against
  • Councillor Paul Christian - against
  • Councillor Joe Krmpotich - for
  • Councillor Judy Hupponen - against
  • Councillor Ozzie Grandinetti - for
  • Councillor Matthew Shoemaker - for
  • Councillor Rick Niro - for
  • Councillor Marchy Bruni - against
  • Councillor Susan Myers - for
  • Councillor Steve Butland - for
  • Councillor Sandra Hollingsworth - for

 


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David Helwig

About the Author: David Helwig

David Helwig's journalism career spans seven decades beginning in the 1960s. His work has been recognized with national and international awards.
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