PUSLINCH – A citizen delegate to Puslinch council is advocating to increase traffic safety on Lake Road.
Ashley McPhee sent a presentation to council outlining the issues and steps to take to address increased traffic and speeding on the road along Puslinch Lake.
“This road is a school bus route and a popular tourist spot connected to the entrance to Old Marina Restaurant and Puslinch Lake,” McPhee’s presentation says. “Therefore, it’s critical that additional measures are put in place to reduce the risk of injury and potentially save lives.”
Lake Road is managed by the county but the delegation is asking Puslinch council to support the cause and work with the county to achieve cost effective solutions.
One of the proposed solutions is to change signage that makes it clear that certain tractor trailer traffic is illegal on this road. Current signage states a weight limit of 5-tonnes per axle but they have proposed a tractor trailers prohibited sign.
County engineer Don Kudo responded to residents concerned and commissioned traffic counters to examine the issue. Although exact data was not given in the presentation, it confirmed that truck traffic is using Lake Road.
Mayor James Seeley noted that a truck on the road doesn't necessarily mean it is illegal because it could be under the weight-limit.
Other proposed solutions include three-way stops at intersections, seasonal speed bumps, new paved shoulders and encouraging increased police presence in the area.
McPhee’s presentation was particularly concerned about traffic diverting around the anticipated 401 expansion and into this area.
A change.org petition advocating for safer roads in the area has 289 signatures.
Councillor Matthew Bulmer said he grew up on Lake Road and remembered when it was a quiet street that he could ride his go-kart on. He said he understands that things have changed but also acknowledges that improving conditions comes at a cost to the county.
He said he was pleased to see both levels of government responding to residents concerns.
“There’s nothing I can actually do as a member of township council except continue to support following through with the county,” Bulmer said.
Councillor Jessica Goyda said she recently took her family for a drive down Lake Road. She was quick to recognize the concerns and frustrations of residents.
“There were several cars parked along the side of the road where it says no parking,” Goyda said. “There were families gathered near the roads edge with their kids near the water while cars sped through the bottleneck that had been created.”
Seeley suggested that the first step for advocacy should be to the county to designate this stretch of road as a community safety zone, where fines are doubled.
He went on to say that electronic speed enforcement, better known as photo radar, is in its infancy but can be installed in community safety or school zones in the future.
“This is a way to mitigate that without adding a huge amount of OPP officers which are very expensive labour-wise,” Seeley said.
Council voted to send this written delegation to the county road committee with the request that they advise on measures to address the concerns in the area.
