Dangerous crossroads to get four-way stops
Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Old Stouffville Rd. (looking east) as it meets Conc. 6. Photo by Lisha Van Nieuwenhove
After years of seeing a multitude of traffic accidents, the intersection of Davis Drive and Concession 6 will soon see the installation of a four-way stop.
Presenting a report that was not listed on the agenda to council on Monday, Mayor Dave Barton said the existing traffic controls at the intersection do not adequately reduce the risk of collisions despite reviews by the engineering staff that said they are within accepted safety standards.
Councillor Willie Popp questioned whether it might make sense to count the number of vehicles travelling on these two roads to see if traffic lights would be useful at that intersection. Barton replied that a set of lights would cost around $500 thousand, and that traffic lights are “often less safe because people run lights or they don’t time the lights correctly.”
He said the stop signs would be augmented by overhead flashing red lights and the stop signs would all have beacons.
The mayor also proposed a four-way stop at the intersection of Conc. 6 and Old Stouffville Road, noting that, although he was not aware of any collisions occurring in that location, he felt that the sight lines there are “very poor,” and that a steep hill on Conc. 6 leading up to Old Stouffville Rd. limits visibility. He also claimed that there has been increased traffic through that intersection since the opening of the Uxbridge Urban Park. Councillor Pam Beach agreed that the intersection is “a dangerous spot.”
Conc. 6 (facing south) where it rises to meet Old Stouffville Rd. Photo by Lisha Van Nieuwenhove
Popp expressed concern over a four-way stop at Old Stouffville Rd. and Conc. 6, wondering if, as traffic increased in the area because of the park, a bottleneck might occur in either direction.
Councillor Todd Snooks proposed that motions for the report and its recommendations be split in two, one for each intersection. He supported the installation of a four-way stop at Conc. 6 and Davis Dr., but was concerned about such a stop at Conc. 6 and Old Stouffville Rd., saying that putting a stop sign on the incline of the northbound side of Conc. 6 was “problematic.”
Barton admitted that, in inclement weather, a stop on the Conc. 6 hill could present a problem, but that it was still safer than no stop at all.
“None of these solutions are great,” he said. “Roundabouts would be perfect, but stop signs would be safer than what it is today.”
After some discussion, council passed the report's recommendations as they were presented, and the new stop signs will be installed and monitored to assess whether additional safety measures are required.