Traffic Calming Program

Step 1: You Organize a Traffic Calming Petition

Before we initiate a traffic calming assessment, we require a petition signed by 66% of all the fronting homeowners of the block or street where you want traffic calming. Download and fill out the Neighborhood Petition Form, which includes the statement of concern and support from at least 66% of affected households agree along the identified area of concern and send it to trafficcalming@caledon.ca. If the petition does not meet the 66% threshold, the request does not proceed further. The requestor is responsible for gathering signatures on the petition. The petition should include:

• location of the road,
• description of the problem,
• time of day when the most problems are most significant,
• factors your neighbourhood thinks are causing the problems
• names, addresses and signatures of at least 66% of separate households on the street of concern, and
• your name, address and contact information as the petition organizer.

Step 2:  We Conduct a Location Review and Traffic Analysis

After receiving the petition, the screening process, data collection, and analysis will commence. The collection of traffic data, as deemed necessary by Town staff, will serve to provide a better understanding of the current traffic conditions and prioritize locations for the investigation of traffic calming. In addition, staff will conduct the necessary traffic studies to quantify and qualify the submitted traffic concerns.

We focus traffic calming in Caledon on locations where the majority of drivers (85% of daily vehicles) are driving inappropriately. It is not intended for locations where only a few motorists are speeding. Police enforcement is the best solution in these cases.

During our review, we:

• Survey traffic conditions in the neighbourhood and collect daily traffic volume and speed data.
• Look at street issues like speeds, school zone, etc.

At the end of the review, usually, within 1 to 2 months after receiving the petition, we'll contact you with the results and let you know the next steps. If the area meets the traffic calming criteria, based on operating speed, traffic volume, road geometry and classification and input from agencies, we'll put the street on our prioritized list for traffic calming plan development and funding. If a street is eligible for traffic calming, it will be placed on a list based on a prioritization ranking. Staff cannot guarantee that traffic calming will be installed in the same year as the request is approved, and installation timing will depend on the available budget. Factors used to prioritize streets include speed, volume, and historical collision data.

Step 3: We Develop a Traffic Calming Plan

The data collected, combined with site visits, historical information, future maintenance, and construction plans, will be taken into consideration to determine potential traffic calming measures. Town staff will develop a Traffic Calming Plan for the street to use in future consultation. This plan may include signs and traffic calming devices.

Staff will also provide the preferred design to the relevant agencies (e.g., fire emergency services, OPP, Operations, etc.) for their input and comments.

Step 4: Your neighbourhood gives input

Should it be determined that the road/study area meets the criteria for implementing traffic measures, staff will advise residents in the neighbourhood that would be affected by the new traffic calming measure advising of the potential new roadway works.

Subsequent to a review with the neighbourhood by way of notification, the neighbourhood proponents will be requested to submit a written confirmation of their opinion by way of completing a survey/petition that Town staff will provide to each proponent along with the notice. 

In order for the process to continue, a minimum of 66% of total surveys delivered must be returned to the Town. If less than 66% of surveyed households respond, no further action is taken, and the request for traffic calming does not proceed further. It may be requested again in two years. 

If more than 66% of households surveyed respond, and more than 66% of the respondents are in favor of proceeding to the implementation step, the petition representative is notified about next steps and timelines.

Step 5: We arrange design, funding, and implimentation

Can’t you just install an all-way stop sign?

Stop signs are a form of traffic control used to assign the right-of-way at intersections; they are not intended to be used as speed control devices. Studies have shown that unwarranted all-way stop signs are ineffective for traffic calming purposes. It has been found that:

• Stop compliance is poor at unwarranted multi-way stop signs.
• It creates higher traffic speeds between stop signs.
• It creates a false sense of safety for pedestrians because they expect the cars to stop.
• It actually may increase speeds some distance from intersections.
• It results in more frequent rear-end collisions caused by a low percentage of motorists who actually do come to a complete stop.
• Potential risk to pedestrians especially children and seniors crossing an intersection, since not all motorists approaching an intersection will stop.

Based on the Ontario Traffic Manual, there are established criteria for all-way stop control based upon the numbers of pedestrians and vehicles sharing an intersection, the collision history and visibility. When these criteria are followed, risks are minimized, and new safety concerns are not created. 

Can we slow down traffic by lowering the speed limit?

Speed limits on Town roads, similar to other municipalities, follows the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) procedure. Artificially lowering speed limits do not act as traffic calming measures for the following reasons:

• Posted speed limits for roadways are established based upon engineering criteria in relation to roadway characteristics.
• Posted speed limits not matching characteristics of the roadway lead to motorist frustration and foster aggressive driving behaviours.
• Compliance with an artificially reduced speed is only achieved with consistent and visible police enforcement, a resource which is not always available.
• Collisions, when they occur, can be more significant due to the differences in speed between vehicles.
• Pedestrians may perceive the roadway to be safer due to the reduced speed limit; and this false sense of security may lead pedestrians that are crossing the roadway to not be as cautious as they would be otherwise.

Why Not Put Speed Humps Everywhere?

Speed humps have been suggested as one of the measures for reducing traffic speed on streets. However, speed humps cause a wide range of other serious issues that have resulted in their reduction in use and even removal in some municipalities.

• Speed humps reduce speed for all traffic, including emergency vehicles and thus increase response times in emergencies.
• Speed humps have also been known to cause injuries to Emergency Services personnel and the public at large. Elderly and disabled people have difficulty with speed humps as they can cause injury and pain to those with spinal problems.
• Speed humps cause increased noise from braking/ acceleration and have negative effects on snow plowing and removal,
• Finally, speed humps are effective on local streets with a short stretch of the road and not long roadways as drivers tend to speed up at mid-blocks to make up for their perceived lost time.

Also, following the Transportation Associate of Canada (TAC) Guidelines, speed humps can only be installed where:

• The speed limit is 50km/h or less.
• The road has an urban cross-section including curb and gutter. It is not effective on rural roads.

Speed humps cannot be installed at the following locations:

• Small turning radius curves and other areas with limited sight distances.
• Grade over 8%.

To this end, speed humps will only be implemented where a severe traffic problem exists.