NEWS RELEASE
TOWN OF BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY
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The Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury, in partnership with South Simcoe Police, are taking the opportunity of Canada Road Safety Week to update residents on the many initiatives taking place to address unsafe driving in the community.
“The Town of BWG has been working closely with the community and with South Simcoe Police to address the very serious and concerning issue of speeding, especially in our residential neighbourhoods,” said Mayor Rob Keffer. “We know that there is no single solution, so we are piloting a number of programs that have proven effective in other towns to see what is going to be most effective in making our community safe.”
Activities underway or coming up later this year include installing speed bumps/cushions, speed-reducing bollards, speed cameras and increased signage, as well as expanding community safety zones and making improvements to intersections and crosswalks.
Many of these safety initiatives came about through the Town’s Community and Traffic Safety Committee. The committee is comprised of Town of BWG council members and staff as well as officers with the South Simcoe Police, and it reviews concerns brought forward by the public and seeks solutions to address them. Based on input from the community, the committee can recommend traffic studies, changes to parking permissions, modifications to signal timing and other measures to investigate and improve traffic safety.
“We are very pleased to see that the use of speed cameras has had a positive effect on reducing the number of speeders in the neighbourhoods where they have been used,” said Councillor Gary Lamb, who is chair of the committee. “However it’s extremely concerning to discover that the majority of people caught speeding in residential neighbourhoods also LIVE in those very neighbourhoods. Residents need to be more aware of their surroundings and keep in mind the vulnerable children and pedestrians all around them.
“We are currently going through the application process with the province to be allowed to issue tickets instead of just warnings through the speed camera program, and look forward to even more positive results once that’s in place,” Councillor Lamb added.
Community and Traffic Safety Committee meetings are livestreamed for public viewing, and the public can submit questions and concerns. Click here for a calendar of upcoming meetings, agendas and minutes.
In celebration of Canada Road Safety Week, the Town's Community and Traffic Safety Committee is giving away FREE “Please Slow Down” lawn signs to residents of BWG on Saturday, May 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the BWG Leisure Centre at 471 West Park Ave. These signs have been proven effective in other communities by alerting drivers to the fact that they have entered a residential neighbourhood with lower speed limits and more pedestrians.
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