Transcript: School Zone Traffic Calming Plans - 2026 Traffic Calming in School Zones - Online Public Information Centre | Summary 401

School Zone Traffic Calming Plans - 2026 Traffic Calming in School Zones - Online Public Information Centre

Hello and welcome to the online public information center for trafficcoming in school zones on major collector and minor arterial roadways. The presentation will begin with a project overview highlighting the schools involved in the study. The next section introduces trafficcoming and explains how it aligns with the town of Oakville's policy framework. Following that, the project background will be covered with a general overview of suitable trafficcoming measures. The next portion of the agenda covers the sightsp specific trafficcoming measures proposed for each school location. The presentation concludes with the next steps for both the town and the community as the project progresses. The project includes the design and implementation of trafficcoming measures at three school sites, St. Luke Catholic Elementary School, James W. Hill Public School, and Pilgrimwood Public School. The map on the right of the slide displays the locations of both schools on Kingsway Drive and the location of the school on Pilgrim's Way in the town of Oakville. The following slide shows the project limits for each school area. For St. Luke's Catholic Elementary School, the project area is on Kingsway Drive. It begins at the intersection of Wininton Way and Winterborn Drive and continues to Guilford Crescent. For James W. Hill Public School, the project area is on Kingsway Drive, starting at the intersection of Clear View Drive in Winon Way and continuing to Prince John Circle. For Pilgrimwood Public School, the project area is on Pilgrim's Way, starting at the intersection of Maple Ridge, Crescent, and Pineway Court to Blackburn Drive. These limits outline the section of roadway where trafficcoming measures are being considered. Traffic calming describes features intended to reduce speeding on neighborhood roads and improve safety conditions for everyone who uses the road. This includes pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. The selection of trafficcoming measures is determined by the roads classification and its conditions. On major collector and arterial roadways, only horizontal measures are considered such as raised medians, lateral shifts, and curb extensions. The town of Oakville's official plan identifies roadway classifications. According to this plan, both Kingsway Drive and Pilgrims Way are designated as major collector roads as shown on the right. The town of Oakville's policy framework demonstrates support for traffic calming and roadway safety. One of the key objectives of the town's transportation master plan is to develop a safe, efficient, and multimodal transportation system that supports the town's growth. This includes creating walkable, cycling friendly, and transit supportive neighborhoods. Traffic calming directly supports these goals by reducing vehicle speeds, improving safety, and creating streets that are welcoming for all. The town also recognizes the vision zero philosophy, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries among all road users by providing safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for all. The trafficcoming program supports this commitment by helping to create safer streets. The town of Oakville initiated an assessment to identify trafficcoming measures that are suitable for major collector and minor arterial roadways and school zones. Not all trafficcoming measures are suited for major roads. Collector and arterial roads may require newer or more specialized approaches. As a result of the study, new trafficcoming measures were incorporated into the town's toolbox and functional designs were developed for select school sites. This presentation includes three school sites that have been identified for implementation of traffic measures in 2026. The following slides will outline the trafficcoming measures that have been determined to be suitable for these three school areas. Lateral shifts are being considered in this project. A lateral shift realign a straight roadway by using features such as medians, curb extensions, and chicanees. This change in alignment increases driver alertness by adding complexity to the roadway, which results in driver slowing down. Lateral shifts are effective at reducing speeding while minimizing impacts on overall traffic operations, making them a suitable option. Curb radius reductions are being evaluated in this project. A curb radius reduction involves reconstructing an intersection corner with a smaller turning radius. This requires drivers to slow down when making a right turn. This treatment not only reduces turning speeds but also shortens crossing distances for pedestrians, improving visibility and overall safety at intersections. Similarly, curb radius extensions are being evaluated in this project. A curb radius extension involves extending the curb at an intersection corner to reduce vehicle speed. This requires drivers to slow down when making a right turn and reduces crossing distance. This treatment also provides opportunities for visual and landscape enhancements. This project is considering lane narrowing treatments. Lane narrowing reduces the width of the roadway through the combined use of medians, curb extensions, bards, and buffers. Narrower lanes require more precise steering and drivers instinctively slow when the roadway feels tighter. This helps reduce vehicle speeds while maintaining overall traffic flow. Speed display devices are also being considered. These are polemounted LED displays equipped with radar speed detectors to alert drivers of their speeds by making drivers aware of how fast they are traveling. These devices encourage voluntary speed compliance and help reduce speeding. The town examined potential options for trafficcoming measures at each school site to determine the preferred concept. The preferred design concepts are summarized in the tables below. Lateral shift, lane narrowing, and speed display devices are proposed at all three schools. A curb raise reduction is also proposed at St. Luke Catholic Elementary School, and a curb extension is proposed at Pilgrimwood Public School. The following slide displays illustrations of preferred design concepts for St. Luke Catholic Elementary School. The speed limit throughout the school zone is 40 km/h. As drivers travel eastbound towards St. Luke Catholic Elementary School, they encounter a speed display device that alerts them of their current speed. A lane narrowing treatment is proposed using concrete islands with flexible bullards along with an existing raised center medium. Additional concrete islands are also proposed along Kingsway Drive to farther narrow the lanes. Together, these features create a gateway effect that signals to drivers they are entering a school zone and encourages them to slow down before reaching the school. A curb radius reduction is proposed at Bishop Stokeway to reduce the right turning speeds and shorten the crossing distances for pedestrians. A green surface treatment is also proposed at school entrance to remind drivers to be aware of cyclists. An eastbound lateral shift is proposed in front of St. Luke Catholic Elementary School. This lateral shift is designed to the speed limit and accommodates for both school and transit buses. On the north side of the road, a lane narrowing is proposed using a long concrete island which also provides protection for cyclists. Similar to the treatment at Bishop Stokeway, Guilford Crescent has proposed curb radius reduction. A green surface treatment is also proposed at the exit of the school as drivers travel westbound towards St. Luke Catholic Elementary School. They will encounter a speed display device and a pedestrian zone sign to alert them that they are entering a school zone. A lane narrowing treatment is also proposed using concrete islands with flexible bulards along with a raised center median. These features work together to encourage drivers to slow down before reaching the school. All traffic measures have been designed to ensure that homeowners can continue to enter and exit their driveways without restrictions. The following slides display illustrations of the preferred design concepts for James W. Hill Public School. The speed limit remains 40 km/h between St. Luke Catholic Elementary School and James W. Hill Public School. As drivers travel eastbound towards James Will Public School, they encounter a speed display device that alerts them of their current speed and flexible bullards and a pedestrian zone sign for lane narrowing. Together, these features create a gateway effect that signals to drivers they are entering a school zone and encourages them to slow down before reaching the school. An eastbound lateral shift is proposed in front of James W. Hill Public School. This lateral shift is designed to the speed limit and accommodates both school and transit buses. A green surface treatment is also proposed at the school entrance and exit to remind drivers to be aware of cyclists. Concrete islands are proposed to narrow the lanes and provide protection for cyclists. As drivers travel westbound towards James W Hill public school, they will encounter a speed display device to alert them of their speed. Additionally, lane narrowing treatments are proposed in two locations using concrete islands and center medians. These features work together to encourage drivers to slow down before reaching the school. All traffic measures have been designed to ensure that homeowners can continue to enter and exit their driveways without restrictions. The following slide displays an illustration of the preferred design concept for Pilgrimwood Public School. The following design was prepared by others. The 40 km per hour speed limit is maintained along the school frontage at Pilgrimwood Public School. As drivers approach northbound towards Maple Ridge Crescent, they encounter a road narrowing raised center median and flexible bullets followed by a speed display device that shows them their current speed in real time. Working together, these features create a gateway effect. One that signals to drivers they're entering a school zone and encourages them to reduce their speed well before reaching the school. A southbound lateral shift is proposed in front of Pilgrimwood Public School. This school is designed to reinforce 40 km/h speed limit while accommodating both small and large vehicles. A green surface treatment is also proposed at the school's entrance and exit to alert drivers to watch for cyclists. On both the north and south sides, concrete median and islands are proposed to narrow the travel lane and provide a measure of protection for cyclists moving through the area. A second lateral shift is also proposed, this time on the northbound lane in front of Pilgrimwood Public School. Like the southbound shift, it provides a continued reinforcement of the 40 km per hour speed limit while continuously accommodating vehicles of all sizes. Additionally, a curb extension is proposed at the intersection of Pilgrim's Way and Blackburn Drive, requiring drivers to reduce their speed when making a right turn onto Pilgrim's Way. Thank you for listening to this presentation. The next steps of this project include the following. Please provide input by May 12th, 2026 using the online feedback form or by contacting the town's project manager. All input collected will be considered as part of the final design. After the public review period, the project team will review comments and suggestions from residents, stakeholders, and agencies. A summary of what we heard will be prepared to highlight key themes and feedback. The team will then begin preparing the final design drawings, incorporating community feedback where possible. The final designs will be posted on the town's website prior to the project proceeding to tender. At this time, construction is anticipated to begin in July 2026. Project updates will continue to be provided as work progresses and can be found on the town's website at ww.okeville.ca.

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