Traffic Safety News and Survey

Mayor’s Message

The safety of our residents in something that is of great importance  to the Stratford Town Council.  Input from residents during last fall’s election campaign, together with complaints received on a regular basis, has clearly identified “speeding and pedestrian safety” as a major concern within Stratford.  In an effort to address these concerns, we have set up a “Traffic Safety Committee”.  The work of this committee serves to inform residents of the progress being made, make residents aware of other Town efforts in the area of traffic safety in Stratford and to gather feedback and comments from residents in a community survey.  Please take a few minutes to read about traffic safety in Stratford and to complete the Traffic Safety Survey.  We value your input on this and any other issue that may be of concern to you.

To address residents’ concerns regarding speeding and pedestrian safety, a Traffic Safety Committee was established to comprehensively review traffic safety in the Town and to recommend safety improvements. The committee is chaired by Councillor Emile Gallant, Safety Services Committee Chair.

Sincerely,
Mayor David Dunphy

Traffic Safety Committee Mandate
To address residents’ concerns regarding speeding and pedestrian safety, a Traffic Safety Committee was established to comprehensively review traffic safety in the Town and to recommend safety improvements. The committee is chaired by Councillor Emile Gallant, Safety Services Committee Chair, and the committee will look at:

• speed zones in the Town;
•  the use of traffic control devices;
• best practices from other jurisdictions;
• the location and design of active transportation infrastructure;
• street design,  including the possible incorporation of an approach called traffic calming;
• education and social marketing;
• enforcement; and
• any other issues that the committee deems appropriate.

An important part of the Committee’s review includes hearing from you, the residents.  What are your concerns? Do you have suggestions on how to improve traffic safety in your area or the Town at large? If so, you are encouraged to complete the Traffic Safety Survey, or if you would prefer to just comment, please send an email to info@town.stratford.pe.ca or a letter to the Town at 234 Shakespeare Drive, Stratford P.E. C1B 2V8.   

Factors that Affect Traffic Safety
The relationships between vehicles, walkers, runners and bikers can be managed in a number of ways such as controlling vehicle speeds and introducing sidewalks, bike paths and trails. The Traffic Safety Committee will look at factors influencing the speed of vehicles (e.g., street design, posted speeds, speed limit enforcement, driver attitudes, signage).  Recent steps taken by the Town to help residents feel safe in the community and promote their personal health and wellness include:

• increasing the number of RCMP from four to six;
• acquiring a portable speed radar trailer;
• developing the active transportation infrastructure (sidewalks and bike paths) on our main roads in partnership with  the provincial government;
• launching a transit system;
• adopting an Active Transportation Plan; and
• developing a Master Transportation Plan

Speed Limits and Enforcement
The provincial government owns, maintains and sets the speed limits for the Town’s streets. Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit on all streets in the Town is 30 Kph. The only exceptions are: 

• Hopeton Road – 50 Kph
• MacDonald Drive – 50 Kph
• East River Drive – 50 Kph
• Bunbury Road – 50 Kph
• Mason Road – 50 Kph
• Stratford Road – 50 Kph
• Keppoch Road from the Stratford Road to just past the Langley Road - 50 Kph
• Keppoch Road from just past the Langley Road to the marsh past Isleview Drive – 60 Kph
• Keppoch Road from the marsh past Isleview Drive to the Town boundary – 70 Kph
• Old Georgetown Road from Stratford Road to civic number 110 – 50 Kph
• Old Georgetown Road from civic number 110 to Keppoch Road – 60 Kph
• Kinlock Road – 60 Kph
• Shakespeare Drive from Jubilee to Town Centre – 50 Kph
• Trans Canada Highway from the Stratford Road to the business park – 70 Kph
• Trans Canada Highway from the business park to the Town boundary – 90 Kph
• Mt. Herbert Road – 60 Kph

Active Transportation Plan
A plan was developed in 2009 with input from residents and users helps guide the development of active transportation such as sidewalks, bike lanes and trails.

In partnership with the provincial government, the Town has spent over $1.5 million of our federal gas tax funding over the last five years on sidewalks and bike lanes on roads identified as having high volume and speed of traffic. The Town also installed more than two Km of trails during the same period. Together, this equates to over 90% of federal gas tax funding received during that time. The high traffic streets that are slated for sidewalks and bike lanes, as funding is available from the province for the ditch infilling portion of the projects, are:

• Stratford Road
• Hopetown Road
• Mason Road
• Keppoch Road
• Kinlock Road
• Old Georgetown Road

Street and Urban Design
Street and surrounding development design can affect traffic speed. Some communities are now using a technique called traffic calming to slow down the speed of traffic.  

Locating buildings close to the street and/or incorporating sidewalks can act as cues for drivers to slow down. For example, our core area plan calls for buildings along the Trans Canada Highway to be located closer to and facing the highway with parking in behind so that drivers will feel like they are driving within a community rather than on a highway.