Traffic Calming

The Town of Collingwood has instituted a Traffic Calming Policy to provide a systematic procedure for the initiation, investigation and implementation of traffic calming measures on roads within the Town of Collingwood. This policy and associated procedures ensure that there is a formal process by which all traffic calming requests can be evaluated against the same screening and criteria - thus ensuring a consistent approach throughout the Town.

Traffic Calming Policy

What is Traffic Calming?

Traffic calming is the implementation of primarily physical measures that are intended to:

• reduce the negative impacts of motor vehicle use;
• alter driver behaviour; and
• improve conditions for non-motorized street users.

Town of Collingwood Measures

In consideration of the Town objectives in implementing traffic calming guidelines, and recognizing the combination of urban, semi-urban and rural roads within the Town's road network, the following traffic calming measures have been considered:

• Police enforcement
• Dynamic speed signs
• Lane narrowing via road markings
• Chicanes
• Curb radius reductions
• Curb extensions
• Traffic calming curbs
• Textured cross walks
• Speed humps
• Speed cushions
• Speed tables
• Centre median
• Traffic circles
• On-street parking

Images of Traffic Calming Measures

Traffic Calming Process

The following process will be used when proceeding with a request for traffic calming measures within the Town of Collingwood. An established and formal process for investigating roads provides consistency and equality in the determination of need and suitability of traffic calming measures.

Traffic Calming Request/ Petition

Residents with speed related concerns are instructed to submit their written request to growthdevelopment@collingwood.ca. Staff will review the request and respond with direction including a petition to be circulated by the resident. The purpose of the petition is to establish whether there is sufficient neighbourhood/local support for traffic calming measures prior to the Town initiating an investigation into the need for such measures on the subject road. The petition results must clearly demonstrate that a minimum of 51% of the dwelling units with direct frontage or flankage onto the candidate road or road section support the potential implementation of traffic calming measures. Each dwelling unit is represented by one signature, regardless of the number of people in the unit.

Town Screening

Following an appropriate request for traffic calming consideration, Town staff will undertake a screening of the request and candidate road section considering road classification, traffic volumes, length, grade and actual travel speeds.

Initial screening criteria to determine eligibility for consideration for traffic calming measures have been established. With respect to the road or road section in question, it must:

• Be a local road assumed and maintained by the Town of Collingwood;
• Have a minimum annual average daily traffic (AADT) volume of 900 vehicles;
• Have a minimum uncontrolled (i.e., no stop signs or traffic signals) length of 220 metres without being a dead-end road section or cul-de-sac;
• Have a grade that does not exceed 6%; and
• Not have been the subject of a previous speed study or traffic calming request within the past 3 years.

If the subject road or road section does not satisfy the above criteria, it will not be considered an appropriate candidate for traffic calming.

While the focus of traffic calming will be on local roads, Town staff may, at their discretion, review select collector roads for consideration provided that they also meet the above criteria and serve in excess of 2000 vehicles per day.

Speed Criteria

For locations meeting the initial screening criteria, a travel speed survey will be conducted to determine whether speeding is occurring through the study area. For vehicle speeds, it is not prudent to consider the highest speed at which motorists travel. Rather, the 85th percentile speed is typically considered, which is the speed at which 85% of the total traffic volume on a road is travelling at or below. The 85th percentile concept is based on the theory that the large majority of drivers:

• Are reasonable and prudent;
• Do not want to be involved in a motor vehicle accident; and
• Desire to reach their destination in the shortest possible time.

Based on these assumptions, the 85th percentile speed observed under favourable conditions may be considered as the maximum safe speed for that location. The speed limit and 85th percentile speed should be relatively comparable - thus indicating that the function and physical characteristics of the road are properly communicated, understood and respected by motorists. Ideally, the 85th percentile speed should be a minimum of 5 km/h or 10% over the posted speed limit, whichever is greater. Where the 85th percentile speed exceeds the posted speed by 5 km/h or 10%, it is an indication that intervention is required to reduce vehicle operating speeds. A lower tolerance may be applied in reduced speed zones and community safety zones where stricter adherence to the speed limit is desired for obvious reasons.

In considering the need for traffic calming, the 85th percentile speed must exceed the posted speed limit by the values provided in Table 2 below.