Frank Naso first approached BWG town council in August, asking for action on the speeders who have been making Bradford roads unsafe.
He and his family had moved to Bradford in 2018, expecting a slower pace in the smaller town, only to be shocked by the aggressive driving and “near misses” on local roads that he observed.
Naso proposed what he called a “Slow Your Roll” campaign: posting signs on residential roads asking motorists to slow down, similar to the signs he had seen in other municipalities.
Naso’s request went to the Traffic Committee, where it was enthusiastically endorsed, with a recommendation to council to approve ‘Please Slow Down’ signage that would be available for purchase at a cost of only $10 per sign, to cover costs.
It took just two months, but the first bag-and-wire 'Please Slow Down' sign went up on Nov. 2 – on Naso’s front lawn.
He was joined for the “unveiling” by BWG Mayor Rob Keffer, councillors Ron Orr, Raj Sandhu, Mark Contois, Gary Baynes and Gary Lamb, and by York-Simcoe MP, Scot Davidson.
“I’m pleased,” Naso said at the launch. “It’s great that council is taking this on and championing it like this. It’s another tool in their tool set, slowing down the traffic.”
He suggested that the yellow and black signs, which include an image of two children playing soccer, could also help the town identify areas where speeding is an issue.
“It will provide the town with some metrics,” said Naso. “If you have a bunch of signs registered from one street, that might be an area to set up speed enforcement.”
Joined by his four-year-old daughter Ada, he said, “I’m pleased to be part of this.”
Coun. Gary Lamb, chair of the Traffic Committee, noted that the town is looking at installing cameras that will photograph speeders, allowing the town to send those motorists letters, advising them of their dangerous behaviour.
The 'Please Slow Down' signs are provided by the Town of BWG, available at the Administration Office, 100 Dissette St., from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday. Cost is $10. Signs are to be placed on private property, at least 0.6 metres from the curb or edge of the sidewalk, and at least three metres from any fire hydrant.
For more information, contact Paul Dubniak, Transportation Technologist, at 905-775-5369 ext. 5206, or email [email protected].
