Originally published on August 18 2023
Niagara roadways just got safer, including soon in Fonthill.
Regional Council has approved the adoption of a Community Safety Zone (CSZ) policy, pertinent to sections of roadway where public safety is of a special concern, particularly for vulnerable road users such as children and older adults. Twelve CSZs have been designated across Niagara, including one in Pelham, on Highway 20 in Fonthill.
The CSZ stretches along Highway 20 from Rice Road west to Pinecrest Court at the top of the hill, opposite Fonthill United church. This segment of Highway 20 sees an average daily traffic volume of 19,000 vehicles, according to the Region.
Pelham Ward 1 Councillor Wayne Olson applauded the move.
“I think this is really important for the entire region to name all these Community Safety Zones, and it's particularly important for us in the town of Pelham, and we have numerous places where residents have complained about vehicle speed and noise issues. Port Robinson Road and Canboro Road are two hot spots, in addition to along Highway 20. We have to create a culture of safety.”
However, Olson added that, “I find it odd that the CSZ was not extended west to Lookout Street, where there is a retirement residence, numerous businesses, more pedestrian traffic, and intersections with driveways abutting Highway 20. That would have significantly increased the warrant score for this roadway.”
Media officer Constable Phil Gavin of the Niagara Regional Police Service said that fines in a CSZ will depend on the circumstances of the particular offence, but that, generally speaking, the fines are doubled. The maximum vehicle speed allowed in the CSZ on Highway 20 in Fonthill is 50 kilometres per hour.
Pelham Fire Chief Bob Lymburner said that Town bylaw officers will not be responsible for enforcement of the CSZ, noting that “Highway 20 is a Regional road, so authority lies with the Region, including the Niagara Regional Police.”
To ensure CSZs are recommended only in areas where they are most appropriate, the Region has adopted a “warrant” system, which incorporates criteria such as the number of sensitive land uses proximal to the roadway (e.g. schools, playgrounds, churches, community centres, and seniors homes), and risk factors including average vehicle operating speeds, percentage of truck traffic, and past collision history. All of the risk factors are weighted with points, and it requires a minimum of 25 points for a stretch of roadway to be warranted a CSZ.
The policy establishes that a CSZ must be between 500 metres and 2.5 kilometres in length, and they will not be implemented on roads with speeds posted 70 km/h or higher.
As part of Niagara Region's automated enforcement programs, ten new red light cameras will be added in 2023 on Regional roads across Niagara, including one at Highway 20 West and Victoria Avenue (Regional Road 24). Red-light cameras have been in operation in Ontario since 2000, and are well-established and recognized by the court system for their high quality and proof of violations. Red light running is a significant cause of severe collisions at signalized intersections in Niagara: between 2014 and 2018, there were 1,429 angle collisions recorded at signalized intersections in the Region.
Pelham will also be receiving a new traffic signal in Fenwick, at the intersection of Highway 20 and Balfour Street, as a traffic calming measure.
