Shelburne to budget for safety in 2014

June 27, 2013 · 0 Comments

As a safety measure, Shelburne will budget about $300,000 in 2014 to signalize and improve the Highway 10 (Owen Sound St.) intersection with Susan Street and Fiddle Park Lane.

The improvements would include a slight realignment of Susan Street on the west, such that the centre of that street would match the centre of Fiddle Park Lane to the east and, more importantly, creation of left turning lanes throughout.

The intersection, which provides access to Centre Dufferin Recreation Centre (CDRC) and the adjacent new elementary school, as well as to residences on both sides of the highway, is viewed as one of the busiest in the town.

CAO John Telfer said it is especially so during school time and at lunch time, and “kids are taking chances crossing (Owen Sound St.).”

Councillor Walter Benotto said it is dangerous on Sunday nights. He said he had been making a left turn when Sunday night traffic “was going around me over the gravel. I thought I was going to be rear-ended,” he told the council.

Although a report by Genivar Engineer Jeff Graham might have been preliminary to the final planning, it set out dtails of turning lanes and tapers for all four intersection approaches.

The standard highway turning lane, he said, would be 60 metres including the approach taper but for southbound Highway 10 traffic he suggested that should be increased to 85 metres. The northbound would be 60 metres.

Mr. Graham recommended shorter turning lanes for both Fiddle Park Lane and Susan Street.

On costs, he estimated $185,000 for the electrical portion of the undertaking plus between $100,000 and $150,000. He also cautioned that the costs could rise because of the steep slopes off the shoulders on Highway 10 north of the intersection, among other things.

Further north, the intersection of Highway 10 and Melancthon Third Line is expected to require signalization when the Third Line to the north connects to Col. Phillips Drive to the south and the Communities of Summerhill subdivision nears completion.

But CAO John Telfer said the ministry of transportation (MTO) is not committed to approving lights for that intersection but only “to consider” signals when traffic counts warrant it.

In other business Monday, it transpired that Shelburne might have set a record of sorts on its appointments of the chief and the deputy chief of Shelburne and District Fire Department.

It came to light out that the men have been technically “on probation” for as long as 15 years as they had been appointed on an informal basis back when handshakes sufficed for agreements.

So, after all these years, they were finally appointed by bylaw to their respective posts. Councillor Benotto said it was nothing unusual. He said other departments are being required to establish such bylaws.

By Wes Keller