Traffic calming being voted on by Walkerville residents

Following the release of a video showing a collision at a Walkerville intersection last weekend, traffic calming measures in the city are again under a spotlight — this time during an election. 

A resident that lives near the corner of Richmond Street and Gladstone Avenue in Walkerville posted a video calling for traffic calming at the corner featuring the collision. It shows a car skidding on its side following a collision and ends with the sound of a crying child.

"Enough is enough." is emblazoned across the screen as the final thought in the video.

"It's certainly something of concern," Jeff Hagan, transportation planning senior engineer for the City of Windsor said after viewing the video of the crash.

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Residents CBC spoke with in the area were asking for an all way stop at the intersection or for speed humps to be installed. 

Hagan said that the idea of a stop sign being added on Gladstone Avenue hasn't been approved in the past because that stretch of Gladstone Avenue acts as a transit route.

Installing speed humps is a possibility, he said. Residents who live on Richmond Street, between Gladstone and Pierre Avenues can vote through an online survey to have the humps installed. They have until Sept. 4. 

"It would be up to council but our recommendation would be that they go ahead," Hagan said.

Candidates weigh in

This incident also highlights the issue of traffic calming in the city during a municipal election. 

Mayor Drew Dilkens, currently a candidate in the upcoming municipal election, had not seen the video but said that traffic calming has been made a priority by council.

Along with the speed hump program, he also pointed toward the unanimous decision of council to move $1 million to a fund dedicated to traffic calming. 

He also mentioned the city's adoption of a Vision Zero Policy during this term. That policy uses input from various community groups and data to push toward a goal of zero fatal and serious injury collisions in the city, though he said, residents have to want the changes. 

"We will always work with neighbours to try and make solutions for their neighbourhoods, they're the ones that are going to know what those solutions are better than myself or any member of council," Dikens said.

"We have the money in place, so if residents want to have the conversation about certain intersections, certain traffic calming measures, they always have an open ear with me."

Chris Holt, the Ward 4 councillor who is challenging Dilkens in the upcoming election, is also the chair of of the Vision Zero Stakeholder Group. He recently held an event centred around road safety where he listed a number of recommendations they have made, including speed limit reductions.

That idea, which would have lowered the speed limit in residential areas was put on the back burner when council voted to send it back to administration for review last year. 

"Lowering the default speed limit from 50 to 40 kilometres an hour drastically increases the chances you are going to survive a collision," Holt said.

When asked about the Walkerville accident, mayoral candidate Benjamin Danyluk said that he's lived in the area all his life and he believes cameras should be put up to catch offenders.

Matthew Giancola said, "I feel that the implementation of traffic calming measures should be carefully evaluated on a case-by-case basis, but I prefer speed humps over photo radar and reduced speed limits."

CBC has reached out to the all the mayoral candidates.