Barrie city council has made a U-turn on proposed road diet plans for Madelaine Drive in favour of additional stop signs.
The original proposal would have converted Madelaine Drive — a residential street between Yonge Street and Mapleview Drive East — from a four-lane road into a two-lane road. However, in May, council referred the plan back to staff to explore alternative traffic-calming measures.
In July, council approved of adding more stop signs at Madelaine Drive and Country Lane.
Several residents have raised safety concerns about speeding vehicles on Madelaine Drive. However, many argued that thinning the road would result in traffic congestion rather than improved safety.
Coun. Sergio Morales, who represents the area, said after residents implored council to consider options other than a road diet, installing stop signs is the logical first solution to implement to address those concerns.
“City council, Mayor Nuttall and I heard the concerns from residents loud and clear, so I wanted to make sure we landed on the right plan,” he said.
“This plan forces a full stop of northbound and southbound traffic, rather than just reducing vehicle speeds.”
Morales said that while no single solution had majority support, residents are united in wanting a resolution that will improve safety in the neighbourhood.
“There isn’t an option that has a clear plurality — resident support is evenly distributed among the options,” he said.
“What they all want though, is a solution to the unsafe conditions of this intersection, and city hall will continue to implement solutions and revise as needed until the safety concerns of this intersection are addressed.”
Parking will be prohibited on both sides of Madelaine Drive from Country Lane to 35 metres northbound. The city plans to install traffic-calming measures at a cost of more than $210,000, funded through revenue from automated speed enforcement cameras that ticket speeding drivers in designated safety zones.
