SLIDE 5 2017-03-15 5
Appendix A – Parsons Report response Full Text of email to Council – March 1st 2017
- Context of the Study/Review
- In October 2015, Councillor Betty Disero brokered a meeting attended by Sheldon Randall and Marcie Weston, both from the Town, Village Community Association
(VCA) representatives, Bill Smelser (then VCA President, Dave Antaya (VCA Vice President) and two Village residents, Doug Gibson and Alan Walker. The Village Developer, John Hawley, was also present.
- The discussions focused on VCA concerns with the operation of the intersection together with the lack of walkway access to the plaza.
- The VCA position was that the Town should consider the installation of a left turn lane, for northbound drivers entering the plaza, thus obviating the potential for
conflicts, as vehicles crossed in front of southbound vehicles proceeding through the intersection.
- The Town agreed to carry out further investigations, and we were subsequently advised that a study would be conducted.
- Our (VCA) primes focus was on the Town studying our request for the left turn lane, and secondarily, for the installation of walkway access at the intersection.
- The Review document is silent on the prime aspect and thus does not allow Council to adequately accept or reject the findings contained in the Review document.
- Incidentally, at the October meeting a first response from the Town was that the Stop sign located at the CIBC could be removed (more on this later) but the VCA
attendees urged them not to do this until such time as the left turn lane was installed.
- A review of the of the Parsons Review/Document
- Study area Page 5 – Nowhere does Parsons clearly state the Terms of Reference under which the study was conducted – as such, Council would be unaware that the
VCA’s prime focus (the installation of a left turn lane) had not been considered - the Consultant is silent on this main point
- GVD/Shoppers Plaza Access– the Consultant states that the centreline marking breaks at the plaza access – this is not accurate, as the line breaks at the end point
- f the access, which is important as drivers turn left into the plaza are crossing a well-marked solid line. This reinforces the notion that this a true intersection,
albeit unusual in character – in no other intersection situation would crossing traffic have priority over traffic proceeding through the intersection, as it is in this case.
- Observations – Page 10 Part 1- the Consultant refers to GVD Stop-controlled approach, i.e., the Stop sign located outside the CIBC – The Consultant is silent on the
fact that this Stop sign, is in the VCA’s view, in contravention of the Provincial Ontario Traffic Manual regarding the placement of stop signs, i.e., within 250 Metres of the Traffic signals at Niagara Stone Road
- Observations – Page 10 Part 2 – The Stop sign in question, was installed seemingly after the fact to obviate the concerns that Village residents continue to
- bserve – the fact that the Town had offered to remove it (at the October meeting – see above) would seem to suggest that it should not have been installed in
the first place
- Observations – Page 10 Part 3 – the Consultant makes the observation that northbound drivers did not use their signals consistently when accessing the plaza – this
seems to suggest that they should signal more consistently (a notion with which we strongly agree), and supports our view that the installation of a left turn lane would obviate the confusion and ambiguity experienced by drivers making a left turn into the plaza, and by southbound drivers, most of whom believe that they have the right of way to proceed directly through the intersection, having made a stop at the (albeit non-compliant) CIBC Stop sign. This results in numerous “near collisions” at the intersection either not observed in the limited study timeframe nor recognized in the Parsons Report.
- Discussion – Page 12 – The Consultant states “Provided road users respond……….thisintersection should continue to perform in adequate safety – it is this assertion
that I/we take exception to –we, as a Community have made representations to the Town on a number of occasions over the time that the Village has existed in NOTL; if the intersection was performing in adequate safety we would not have continued to make these representations – we live the issues on a daily basis, and these provide us with rather more informed experience than the two, limited, observation sessions that form the basis of the findings and recommendations in the Parsons Review Report – if the Consultant, in conjunction with Town Staff, had taken the time to meet with those of us VCA members, who had attended the October 2015 meeting, and considered our input for the design and conduct of the Study, then I suggest that the document that Council would have used to determine Next Actions on these issues would have far more informed and considered than this version
- The Final Word(s)
- Adopting the left had turn solution provides an elegant and simple “Win-Win” solution for both Motorists and the Town.
– It removes the ambiguity of the current intersection operation, and thereby enhances Motorist safety – It provides for the safe removal of the CIBC Stop Control, thus enabling the Town to be fully compliant with Ontario traffic control Regulations
Appendix B – Profile – The Village
- Represented by Village Community Association
(VCA)
- Approx. 600+ residents when fully built out in 2018.
- Estimated approx. $1MM+ in taxes paid annually
- Unique residential community design and gateway to
Historic Old Town
- Unique concentration of socio-economic consistency
- Home to active & retired Professionals and
Business people including former Business Executives, Management Consultants, Lawyers, Judges, and Municipal Councillors
- Internal VCA survey overwhelmingly supported
correcting Village traffic and parking issues
