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Council sees little need for Dawson Road crosswalk

October 19, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS, LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

At least one Orangeville resident believes it’s time for a crosswalk on Dawson Road in the area of Centre Street.

First Street resident Anthony Zambito lobbied Orangeville council during its regular meeting Oct. 16 for a crosswalk on Dawson Road, northeast of Centre Street.

“I don’t like the idea of toddlers and mom’s holding their hand while cars are going across the street and they’re forced to jaywalk when they shouldn’t have to,” he said.

“I also don’t like the idea of the elderly trying to hurry to cross the street while there’s traffic waiting. So that’s what prompted me to be here.”

Currently, Dawson Road at Centre Street is a three-way intersection in a residential neighbourhood. It’s located between an elementary school and a church. That creates traffic concerns at that specific area, Zambito said.

“A lot of times, people park at the school as opposed to in the church parking lot because there isn’t enough parking for everybody [at the church],” Zambito said.

Many children also pass through that area every day of the week to go to school. That includes taking part in school-related events at the church.

Zambito pointed out three possible locations for a crosswalk on Dawson Road. Those suggested locations connect the parking lot, the church, and the school building.

According to crosswalksafety.ca, 42 per cent of pedestrian fatalities in 2006 occurred on roads without proper crosswalks, he said.

“People cross this street regularly,” he said, and he added that electric vehicles are made to run more quietly than ever before. Couple that with pedestrians distracted by their phones, and you have a dangerous circumstance if the driver is also distracted.

Councillor Debbie Sherwood said she’s lived in that neighbourhood for about 40 years, and she’s never seen the lack of a crosswalk to be an issue of concern.

“I have been down that road many, many times. Thousands of times in that area,” she said. “It’s 40 kilometres an hour. I do not see a huge influx of people trying to cross there.”

And, she said, people tend to be very respectful of church parishioners crossing to go to mass.

“I just don’t understand the want for this all of a sudden,” Sherwood said. “I certainly don’t think there’s been any fatalities or any car crashes or anything there.”

Orangeville council didn’t comment further on the matter and received Zambito’s presentation for information.

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