More enforcement is the answer for traffic speeds on Airport Road
By Bill Rea

Apart from more speed enforcement, there's not much that can be done about the traffic situation on Airport Road in Caledon East.

That was the basic conclusion Caledon councillors had last week for local resident Doug Demerling.

He attended the meeting armed with statistics that show that most traffic is well in excess of the posted 50 km-h speed limit, especially north of the village.

The statistics, provided by William Toy of Peel Region Environment, Transportation and Planning Services, indicated things are a little better in the heart of the village. In the area just north of Emma Street, radar spot checks revealed 60 per cent of northbound traffic was exceeding the 50 km-h speed limit, with 15 per cent going at least 59.4, while 71 per cent of southbound traffic was going too fast, with 15 per cent travelling at least 61.28 km-h. North of Old Church Road, the checks found 68 per cent of northbound traffic and 39 per cent of southbound were over the limit. North of Walker Road, in the area where the speed limits change from 50 to 80 km-h (heading north), the checks revealed 95 per cent of traffic travelling both ways were over the 50 limit, with 15 per cent of northbound traffic gong at least 71.24, and 15 per cent of southbound going at least 70.36.

North of Huntsmill Drive (at the Caledon Inn property), where the speed limit is 80 km-h, 61 per cent of northbound and 72 per cent of southbound traffic were in violation, with 15 per cent of northbound vehicles going at least 90.25, while 15 per cent of southbound traffic was travelling at least 95.27.

"Please give this the attention it deserves, before someone gets killed," Demerling appealed to council.

Mayor Marolyn Morrison said they were hoping for more police enforcement, adding the Town would follow up with Caledon OPP.

Toy's report stated there was no apparent deficiencies in the number or location of speed signs on the road. It did state the "slow" markings on the pavement could be moved further north to better coincide with the zone where the speed limit changes.

He had also reported there had been studies, at the request of Councillor Richard Whitehead, into whether traffic signals would be appropriate at the Walker Road intersection. He concluded that while the traffic volumes were sufficient, the amount of cross traffic being delayed, along with the danger of accidents, was insufficient to warrant lights.

Whitehead himself observed the intersection isn't even close to qualifying for signals, and he warned against installing them frivolously. They might slow some drivers down, but speeders could be encouraged to go even faster to try and beat the lights. He added there's no indication Walker is being used as a bypass around the village, pointing out most of the traffic on the street is local.

He concluded more aggressive speed enforcement by police is the answer.

Whitehead also suggested notices be sent to the local aggregate operations, calling on them to ask their truck drivers to slow down. That could lead to some improvement, he observed.

Councillor Doug Beffort wasn't sure there's much more the police could do, adding he thought they were already doing a fine job.

"They're doing their absolute best with the personnel they have," he remarked, calling for some more creative ideas to address the issue, such as RoadWatch.

"We need to change what's between people's ears," he declared. "It's the mentality of how people drive."