Street signs that urge Mississauga drivers to slow down are being tossed into creek
Published August 31, 2022 at 4:06 pm
It seems not all south Mississauga residents are fans of a relatively new City initiative that aims to slow speeding drivers down on neighbourhood streets.
A number of “Slow Street” signs, which are set up by City of Mississauga officials on select streets across the city, have been turning up in creeks and other areas they’re not supposed to be throughout the summer.
In addition to the signs themselves, associated apparatus such as plastic pylons have also been spotted in watercourses and elsewhere.
A Clarkson resident who came across a couple of displaced signs this week in Turtle Creek–one in Hindhead Park, the other along the nearby hydro corridor bike path, and both attached to pylons–said he’s seen them show up in the creek since the beginning of the summer.
Another sign and pylon disposed of in Turtle Creek.
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The resident said he has twice called 311, the City’s information/reporting line, to alert officials to the issue. He said he was told unofficially during one of the calls that not all residents are supportive of the street safety program.
The resident added that in addition to seeing the signs and pylons in the water, he has also noticed that some people seem “to just move them off the streets and out of the way.”
In an email to insauga.com, a City spokesperson said that while such incidents are not at all widespread, officials do take the matter seriously.
“There are isolated incidents of vandalism related to the devices deployed as part of the Slow Streets program, though it would not be considered a widespread problem,” the spokesperson said. “With that said, staff are continually evaluating the program and are exploring options for devices that would be less susceptible to vandalism.”
The “Slow Street” campaign is part of an ongoing, multi-front effort to clamp down on lead-footed motorists who race along neighbourhood streets–especially near schools and play areas–at unsafe speeds.
It has been rolled out in some communities across Mississauga.
The signs, along with other “traffic devices” that physically narrow targeted streets to vehicle traffic, are intended as temporary traffic calming measures that slow cars down as they pass the apparatus, which is erected in the middle of the road.
The traffic calming devices include barricades, flexible bollards and barrels, along with the signage.
Mississauga officials noted earlier on the City’s Twitter page that the overall objective is to “encourage drivers to slow down and limit traffic to local vehicles.”
Additionally, the City says, the goal is to “provide more space for you to move, like walking, (using a) wheelchair or cycling.”
To request a “Slow Street” setup or report a broken or moved sign, residents can call the City’s info line at 311.
The “Slow Streets” program, formerly known as “Quiet Streets,” was launched by the City in 2020.
“Slow Streets gives pedestrians and cyclists space to move around safely,” City officials say in an online description of the program. “They provide space for all road users and reduce speeding and aggressive driving behaviour.”
The targeted roadways remain accessible to all traffic and allow for the passage of two-way traffic including emergency, road maintenance and waste management vehicles.
The traffic calming measures are removed beginning in November to allow winter maintenance vehicles access to streets.
“Slow Streets” measures are not used on the following:
- major collector or arterial roadways
- multi-lane roadways
- roadways with MiWay bus routes
- roadways where the equipment cannot be safely accommodated
- roadways with significant on-street parking