The annual report of the Traffic Advisory Committee was accepted at council on 22 July.

The report, delivered 25 June by Chair of the Committee, Kelly McGillivray, noted the completion of the committee’s work in developing and recommending a “multi-phase plan for an accessible, active transportation network through Delhi Park.” Additionally, there is ongoing work on the Seniors’ Pedestrian Safety Initiative, a review of Transit initiatives and the development of an overarching Traffic Calming Policy.

Ms. McGillivray was pleased to announce that a backlog of requests had been cleared due to a new practice of using verbal reports and site visits rather than exclusively written reports. Of 19 staff reports, nine were verbal, ensuring “timely and economical responses by staff, particularly for minor concerns.”

The TAC received a total of 15 public requests in 2024, most of them related to speed reduction or traffic calming. Ms. McGillivray noted, “in fact not one person has ever asked us to speed up the traffic!”

In question period, Councillor Pennell asked about installing speed cameras as a solution, specifically in Consecon and Carrying Place. Ms. McGillivray noted that staff already have a study underway, but added “a speed camera doesn’t necessarily solve the problem.

“Sometimes it might raise money, but it doesn’t necessarily stop people from actually speeding, especially when you’ve got a lot of tourists. It’s a one-time ticket. Speed cameras work well in neighborhoods that are commuter areas where people are repeatedly going by every day and they know that they need to slow down.”

She suggested there is a better and less costly approach, noting that “it’s the natural speed of the roadway,” that sets the speed, not a sign or a camera. “We have to start looking at how we’ve overdesigned roads. If a road was initially signed at 80 km an hour, it was designed for 100 kilometers an hour, and now it’s labeled as 60 km an hour but the natural inclination is to go faster because that’s the way it was designed.

“So we have to start looking at how we can make it feel like it’s harder to speed—narrowing the lanes, or putting things along the side, or paint. There are cheap ways of doing it that will help make people feel like they should be slowing down, influencing how people perceive the road.

“Now that we will soon have this traffic calming policy the next step that we would hope to do is start looking at some specific things. We can go beyond the standard speed bumps. There are better, more interesting and economical ways to do that.”

Another concern is pedestrian safety—not only that of senior citizens who are at risk in dark and icy situations, but also more generally. In response to Councillor Harrison’s complaint that “non-local” drivers at the top of Picton’s Town Hill do not understand the non-standard right of way, Ms. McGillivray asserted that she was more worried about pedestrians at this intersection.

She hoped the TAC would be invited to participate as the design for the Town Hill progressed. “I know there’s an environmental assessment that has recommended traffic lights there with some with some modifications that will help compliance with this hill. However, one thing I’ve been advocating for is just some safe pedestrian options right now, because we can’t wait five years until something grand is designed. We need some safe pedestrian options immediately.”

At time of consent, councillor Maynard clarified that the new traffic calming policy is a “best practice” manual: “other municipalities are using something very similar to it. This is a first step, so this does not deal with photo radar or any sort of that stuff. This is just traffic calming. When people ask to have their street lowered to 30 km/h, there’ll actually be a process so that staff will then be able to work through it easier.”

A number of changes to road signage were approved at this time.