This was the message brought by
Queen’s University students to a meeting of the Environment, Infrastructure and
Transportation Policies (EITP) Committee of Kingston City Council on February
14, 2012. Members of a Pedestrian Safety Initiative, the students advocated for
a lowering of speed limits on campus, due to the high number of students
crossing Union and University Streets, two major arteries for city traffic
flow. As part of their case, the students informed councillors that from
2005-2010, 82 collisions have occurred at intersections in, or on the edge of,
campus. These involved combinations of vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians and
resulted in 17 injuries. As research has found that speed is the best predictor
of number and severity of collisions, the students advocated for a reduced
speed limit. The EITP recommended that city staff investigate the lowering of
speed limits on campus.
Solar-powered smart signs now
greet drivers on two streets: on Union, near Frontenac if driving east, and
near Division if travelling west, and on University Avenue, near Grant Hall
(see photo). Why are they smart? They read the speed of oncoming vehicles and
broadcast that information to drivers: if under 40 kph, the number is solid
yellow; if over 40, it flashes and if very high it turns red. Installed and
paid for by the City of Kingston at the request of Queen’s University, the
signs are there on a semi-permanent basis and can track the essential average
speed. If the City’s study shows the average speed to be consistently too high,
advocates may propose another method of traffic calming, such as a scramble
intersection at Union and University streets. Let’s hope these high-tech green
signs motivate drivers to ease off on the gas pedal as they make their way
through one of Kingston’s most pedestrian-clogged areas.
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