Traffic calming was on the mind of Midland council last night as speed reduction, a four-way stop and crossing light conformity were raised during the regular meeting.
Mayor Bill Gordon introduced a motion that would look into reprogramming pedestrian crossing signals on King Street intersections at Yonge Street, Elizabeth Avenue, Hugel Avenue, Dominion Avenue and Bayshore Drive for greater pedestrian accessibility.
Originating during the King Street reconstruction project in 2018, redesigned intersections were made compliant with AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) standards, by initially enabling a loudly repeating chirp during signal crossings.
Noise complaints by COVID-housebound residents in the downtown core prompted staff to experiment with various ways to reduce the sound while remaining AODA compliant. That solution was to keep the chirping sound inaccessible unless crossing buttons were pressed-and-held for three seconds.
Gordon’s motion explored how a missed press of the crossing button wouldn’t activate a ‘walk’ symbol, requiring the pedestrian to either press the button and wait a full cycle or, with risk, cross at their own discretion.
“What I’m asking us to reprogram is to put these, like most other lights where the green light – not withstanding an advanced turn which is going to tell you to stop so you don’t get mowed down – but when the green light is presented to vehicles, the cross symbol is presented to pedestrians without having to interface with any buttons. Just make it simple,” said Gordon.
“Effectively, it’s putting these to a standard that we enjoy everywhere else in most other communities and many other places in town,” Gordon added.
Several on council supported the motion, admitting that they had crossed King Street at times without waiting for a crossing light.
BIA representative Coun. Bill Meridis said: “I am downtown constantly and if I were to wait for every green light, I’d be down there even longer. So I look left and right and I cross; whether it’s red it doesn’t really matter, and a lot of people do. I’m guilty of that, but the lights are frustrating.”
Coun. Jas Patel stated: “I’m in support of this because, like Coun. Meridis, I do play Frogger with my life when I go downtown. Red, green, yellow, you go when you can. This will be a good thing that it will be automatic.”
While Coun. Catherine MacDonald admitted she too had been guilty “of ‘the light’s green, I don't have the hands up, I’m going’,” she added, “it would be nice to have them consistent with the rest of the lights in town that aren’t on King Street.”
Further discussion involved AODA compliance and a projected $2,500 cost out of existing funds, which received council support to explore further.
For a second notice of motion, Coun. Howie Major requested staff to bring a report on the feasibility of a four-way stop at the intersection of Midland Avenue and Elizabeth Street.
Major noticed its importance, “because I drive around town more than most of the citizens in the town of Midland,” citing traffic calming for pedestrians to safely cross.
Responses were in full support, as Coun. Patel, Jamie-Lee Ball, and Deputy Mayor Beth Prost all shared accounts of how hazardous the intersection was regarding excess speeding and accidents.
While Prost pressed infrastructure management / town engineer executive director Mitch Sobil for an opportunity to have the report arrive before winter and worsening weather, Sobil replied that a more fulsome study would be of greater benefit.
“The challenge with the turnaround (of a report) for the next meeting is really data collection with vehicles,” replied Sobil. “We want to make sound decisions and judgment based on actual fact, so we have to look at what we have already for that area with our data collection stuff.
“It’s a little bit aggressive, we can shoot for it, we can definitely have something in the December meeting is more plausible in my opinion.”
The 2019 transportation master plan for Midland did not list Midland Avenue and Elizabeth Street as an intersection for a recommended pedestrian crossing improvement in its list of over 15 locations across town.
Although a previous four-way intersection was implemented elsewhere in the downtown area, Sobil’s predecessor noted in 2021 that regulatory signs such as four-way stop signs may not meet standard provincial warrants and could make the town liable in court.
It was a point Sobil reiterated to council. “Four-way stops, from a traffic calming perspective, isn’t always a great solution so we want to look at the safety concerns.”
Meridis sided with Sobil. “Not to put cost over safety, but as you said sometimes a four-way stop is not the answer. I would say if it takes however long it takes for this report to get you the data that would help us make the right decision, then I support that. But I definitely wouldn’t want you to rush.”
Another traffic related matter was introduced by MacDonald to be addressed at the next committee of the whole meeting, proposing a notice of motion to have staff look at reducing speed limits in Midland, possibly to 30 kilometres per hour, as well as an evaluation plan and look at the costs involved.
MacDonald had voted against exploring the lowering of Midland speed limits to 40 kilometres per hour in a recorded vote in early 2023.
Additionally, MacDonald raised a question regarding 'pedestrian yield to traffic' signs on King Street during the meeting, but said it would be a matter for discussion at another time.
The traffic related motions for which notice was given are available in the council agenda on the town of Midland website.
Council meetings are held every third Wednesday, and can be viewed on Rogers TV cable channel 53 when available, or through the livestream on the Rogers TV website. Archives of council meetings are available through Rogers TV and on the Town of Midland’s YouTube channel.
