Unique intersection sparks concern with area resident

Near

misses at Grand River Street South and Dumfries Street intersection occur daily; County investigating potential mini roundabout as a solution

By Casandra Turnbull

Paris’ natural beauty, and picturesque character are what makes this town unique; it’s also why Paris has some rather dangerous roads and intersections.

Take for example the awkward two way stop where Broadway Street and West River Street converge or the difficult left-hand turn at Laurel Stret onto King Edward Street. Yet the most misunderstood and misused intersection is the two-pronged fork in the road at Grand River Street South and Dumfries Street.

It’s not a new fork in the road by any means For decades residents of this quaint town have navigated through this intersection – the only way to exit the downtown core heading to the south end of Paris – and there’s been near misses and accidents there for as long as the two roads have converged However, the accidents and near misses seem to be happening more often. Speeding, coupled with new residents not familiar with local traffic and a growing tourist population, is only increasing the near misses and accidents Unsurprisingly, this has residents in the area very concerned.

An accident at the corner of Grand River Street S and Dumfries Street on May 22nd left one vehicle just feet away from the homes at the corner of this intersection.

During the late hours of May 22nd , the County of Brant OPP responded to a two-vehicle accident at the intersection. One car narrowly missed the homes on the corner of Grand River St S and Dumfries St. This time there were no serious injuries but it’s only a matter of time, says Paula S.

She heard the accident and went outside to investigate. She found one of the vehicles involved was parked in her garden, just feet from her home. It was a shocking scene to witness yet not surprising.

Paula observes a lot daily: motorists ignoring the stop signs (or rolling through them), failing to signal their direction at the intersection, excessively speeding, taking up both the straight through and right turn lane (heading south out of downtown) or quickly turning left onto Grand River St to try and beat the driver who has the right of way coming from downtown. All these things, she says, accumulate to dozens of near misses every single day. As a result, it’s not uncommon for her to hear honking, tires squealing and engines revving as tempers flare.

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