The Paris Independent
6
December 2, 2023
COMMUNITY NEWS Residents concerned about increased traffic and safety in their neighbourhood By Casandra Turnbull More than 100 concerned residents living in the Highland and Nith Peninsula subdivisions in Paris are protesting the County of Brant’s changes to Dundas Street, citing they will significantly increase traffic and safety concerns in their neighbourhood. The group of approximately 123 residents, led by Martin McCaffrey and Ian Robertson, believe there will be severe implications if the county proceeds with plans to route a majority of traffic coming from Lion’s Park and the new 540-unit Losani subdivision through their residential neighbourhood - down Dundas Street West to new traffic lights going in at King Edward Street. These changes were prompted by what will be a significant increase in traffic as Losani homes begins construction on a new residential neighbourhood on Barker’s Bush. Losani was required to complete a Traffic Impact Study (TIS) detailing how the additional traffic generated from the new development would impact the existing streets and intersections in the area. Brant County staff worked with a traffic consultant to review viable solutions. As a result, RPT-0289-23 was presented in July and passed by
The red arrow shows where the entrance to the new Losani subdivision will be and the red boxes show the current all-way stop intersection. Once the roundabout is built at the entrance of the new subdivision, the county plans to remove the all-way stop. Area residents feel this is dangerous to pedestrians who need to cross the road and because the exit from Zavarella Court has poor sightlines. council a few months ago. Highlights from the RPT stipulate the developer must construct a roundabout on Dundas Street at the entrance to the subdivision by spring 2024. Once it’s in place, the county will remove the all-way stop at Zavarella Court. Traffic signals will be installed at the west intersection of Dundas St W and King Edward St and a ‘porkchop’ curb will go in on the easterly end of Dundas Street and King Edward Street. This will enforce traffic to make right turn outs only from Dundas, which also means all traffic leaving Lions Park can only turn right onto King Edward Street East. To head west
towards downtown, motorists will detour down Dundas Street West, through the roundabout and hit the new lights at the end of Dundas Street West to make a left-hand turn. Both McCaffrey and Robertson presented the group’s concerns, along with a well supported petition, during a delegation at the Tuesday, Nov. 28th council meeting. “While we understand the necessity of addressing traffic concerns, we are deeply concerned about the potential removal of a stop sign, and road design issues,” said Robertson in an email to the Paris Independent a few days before the council meeting. Continued on page 7
