MARDEN – Conservation Road between Highway 6 and Wellington Road 38 has been selected as a "strong candidate" for a new speed hump pilot project.
Approximately 1.5 kilometres long with a speed limit ranging from 40 km/hour to 50 km/hour, Guelph/Eramosa township staff have recommended Conservation Road between Highway 6 and Wellington Road 38 as an ideal candidate for a speed hump pilot project after its history of near misses with school buses and speeding concerns from residents.
Home to approximately 21 residential driveways and five sideroad intersections, staff are recommending placing up to three-speed humps along the speedy stretch to monitor effectiveness and the impact on winter maintenance.
In 2021, the township placed eight centreline delineators to reduce "prevailing speeding" but staff said residents are still concerned and traffic volumes indicate the road is largely used as a by-pass to the Guleph Lake Conservation Area and Victoria Road.
Staff included the cost of four-speed humps based on 2023 costs in the 2024 capital budget but is anticipated to be "well under" budget as the pilot is limited to one road whereas the previous plan budgeted for various locations across the township.
Public Works is currently collecting data on Conservation Road to confirm pre-hump conditions.
The pilot's results will be used to create guidelines for future speed hump implantation.
Traffic counters will be installed again following the pilot's completion.
The proposal is up for debate at Guelph/Eramosa's Monday council meeting.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
