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County Council decides to decrease speed limit along portion of Hockley Road

September 8, 2020   ·   0 Comments

By Paula Brown

Dufferin County councillors addressed a reduction to the speed limit on Hockley Road (Dufferin Road 7) last week after Mono Deputy Mayor John Creelman brought up several concerns during County Council on Thursday, Aug. 27. 

The Hockley Road stretch consists of multiple blind curves, residential driveways that exit onto the roadway, as well as a private road access. The speed limit for the stretch of road currently sits at 70 km/h.  

“I get calls almost every other week from people who have near misses on that stretch of road and they fear for their safety pulling out of their own driveways,” said Coun. Creelman. “That is what prompted me to bring this to the attention of public works.”

Houses located on Hockley Road near the river tend to have driveways that slope down, which Creelman says makes it difficult to safely drive up onto the roadway.  

The motion, by Creelman, was first presented to Council on Aug. 13, but was deferred to allow for a staff report to be presented on the matter. The motion looks to reduce the speed limit at Dufferin Road 7 (Hockley Road) and Dufferin Road 18 (Airport Road) from 70 km/h to 50 km/h. 

The report from staff, which was seen during the Thursday meeting, did not recommend any changes in the area. The recommendation to keep the set speed of 70km/h is because “this is what 85 percent of drivers obey on the road”, staff says. 

“Although speeding and other forms of negligent driving are of great concern, they are the resulting impact of a small minority group of motorists. Drastic or localized changes to the regulatory approach of roadway management in response to this small group is often not the most effective solution, nor is it typically advisable,” said Scott Burns, the County’s director of public works, in the report to council.  

Staff gave three options in the report that included reconfiguring the existing signage, implementing the changes west of Dufferin Road 18 or proceeding with the changes from Creelman’s motion. 

“Tinkering with the signs, swapping the cautionary sign for the sign that indicates the actual speed limit that’s not going to solve the problem here,” said Creelman. “The only think that’s going to solve the problem is to reduce the speed limit and increase the enforcement.” 

Councillors spoke of concerns that reducing the speed limit on Hockley Road could lead to more residents going to Council to change speed limits.

“We put ourselves in a position of people coming to Council to suggest that they need a speed limit reduction or additional road measures,” said County Warden Darren White. 

Orangeville Deputy Mayor Andy Macintosh said he was supporting Creelman’s motion, despite not being a “big proponent” of decreasing speeds. Macintosh cited previous serious and fatal accidents at the intersection as part of his support of the motion. 

Coun. Creelman also brought up feedback that he has received from Mono residents. He says he has had more than 100 positive responses on possible speed reduction on the road. 

Concern of going against County staff recommendations was also brought up in the meeting. 

“It came to the point where I have to step up and represent my constituents,” said Creelman. 

Council voted in favour of the motion with councillors Creelman, Currie, Gerrits, Brown, Macintosh, Ryan, Mills, and Anderson voting “yes” and councillors Horner, Garhouse, Rentsch, Soloman, Warden White voting “no, Hawkins was absent from the meeting. 

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