Traffic calming planned for two busy Mississauga roads to slow down speeders
Published May 10, 2022 at 11:24 am
Speed cushions and other traffic calming measures are being considered for two roads in south Mississauga in an effort to slow down cars that have been speeding through the neighbourhoods.
A report from the City of Mississauga’s transportation and works department identifies Meadow Wood Rd. and Orr Rd., located near Lakeshore and Southdown Rds., as areas that would benefit from the installation of traffic calming measures as large numbers of vehicles have been travelling at well over the posted speed limit.
The report, authored by Mississauga’s transportation and works commissioner Geoff Wright, comes to the City’s general committee meeting tomorrow (May 11) for initial discussion before moving on to council for final approval.
Speed cushions are basically modified speed humps that are divided into sections to allow larger vehicles such as fire trucks and ambulances to straddle them, thereby not delaying emergency response times.
Transit buses can also straddle the cushions.
In his report, Wright notes that in addition to a number of speed cushions, “seasonal flexible bollards” would also be installed on Meadow Wood Rd., between Lakeshore Rd. W. and Orr Rd.
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Bollards are basically small posts on the road that give way if contacted by a vehicle.
Map shows Orr Rd. and Meadow Wood Rd., where traffic calming measures are being considered.
Orr Rd., between Southdown Rd. and Meadow Wood Rd., would see only speed cushions installed under the plan.
The report further indicates that during public feedback, some two-thirds of area residents who responded supported the traffic calming measures.
According to the staff report, vehicles have been consistently travelling on the aforementioned roads at well over the posted 40 km/h speed limit.
Studies show that on Meadow Wood Rd., between Green Glade and Petrie Way, some 85 per cent of vehicles monitored were travelling at 64 km/h in the 40 km/h zone.
On another section of the road, between Orr Rd. and Green Glade, that same percentage travelled at 55 km/h.
The results were much the same on Orr Rd., the report shows.
On Orr Rd., between Inverhouse Dr. and Southdown Rd., some 85 per cent of cars were tracked at 65 km/h and that number was 63 km/h on Orr Rd. between Meadow Wood Rd. and Clarkson Rd. S.
The staff report noted that in consultation with former Ward 2 Councillor Karen Ras, who retired earlier this year, “the decision was made to pursue the installation of physical traffic calming measures on Meadow Wood Rd. and Orr Rd.”
The report concludes that “there is sufficient interest from local area residents” and the ward councillor to go ahead with the traffic calming measures.
Estimated costs to install these measures is $53,000 on Orr Rd. and $30,000 on Meadow Wood Rd.
The money will come from an infrastructure project fund in Ward 2. Every ward in the city has such a pool of money to be used at the discretion of councillors.
Speed humps and raised pedestrian crossings are other types of physical traffic calming measures.
More passive calming measures include speed awareness devices and enforcement.
The City’s Traffic Calming Program assesses roadways for the potential installation of physical traffic calming measures to address traffic safety issues.
Officials say traffic calming measures have been implemented in many locations across Mississauga, effectively mitigating speeding and aggressive driving.
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