NEW!
ASE Camera now operational
I am pleased to advise that the first Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) camera became operational on Monday, December 18, 2023. The camera is situated just west of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary School to enforce the 40 km/hr speed of limit.
Signage was changed over this past weekend where the “Coming Soon” signs were replaced with “In Use” signs to clearly indicate to the public that the camera is issuing tickets for motor vehicles traveling above the limit. There are two zones earmarked for cameras along Trelawny Circle in the short term: the first is where the camera is currently positioned. It will remain there for at least 30 days and likely longer. The second is a yet-to-be-determined location in front of Trelawny Public School. Staff are treating the two areas as one single enforcement zone in order to eliminate the confusion between a zone that is “In Use” and a second zone that is “Coming Soon.”
Note that the speed limit along Trelawny Circle is 40 km/hr in its entirety, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This lower speed limit (previously it was 50 km/hr outside of the school zones) was introduced earlier this year to address speeding on Trelawny at all times of day and night. Many other school zones have a drop in the limit to 30 km/hr, however such a speed is not suitable for Trelawny given its geometric configuration and road classification.
A few notes about the operation of this technology. It’s possible to notice a flash from the camera even if a vehicle passing by was not going over the posted limit. There are a number of reasons for this and that does not necessarily mean it was issuing a ticket. The most common is that the system intermittently and automatically takes test images to adjust its brightness settings. It temporarily captures an image, reads the overall brightness level, makes any camera adjustments then discards the image. Additionally, the vendor routinely visits all ASE cameras in the City and also has remote capabilities to ensure all cameras are functioning properly. It is important for drivers to remember that if they travel at or below the speed limit, they will not receive a ticket.
In the same vein, we’ve often heard this program referred to as a ‘money grab.’ The point of the program is to slow drivers down – that’s why these zones are well-signed – and the most effective way to gain compliance is through financial penalty. It would not be a successful program if it did not result in a broad, consistent reduction in travel speeds. Thankfully we are seeing a positive response toward compliance in general across the city. Furthermore, any funds generated through the program are targeted specifically towards the City’s traffic calming budget.
You may be aware that these cameras are often vandalized – which is unfortunate, and illegal. The camera previously situated on Forest Park Drive was often toppled over, and the vendor was regularly coming out to reposition it. In response, the city is testing out an upgraded base – a concrete pad – for the camera installed on Trelawny to minimize the impact of vandalism. Please note, if you see someone or perhaps catch footage on your dash cam of someone vandalizing these cameras, please report it to police (if the crime is in progress) or our office.
We sometimes get questions about the ‘threshold speed’ (ie: the speed over the limit someone can travel without getting a ticket). It’s our understanding that there is no hard-and-fast rule about this, except that if you travel at or below the posted speed limit you are guaranteed not to be penalized.
If you have further questions or interest related to the Automated Speed Enforcement program in general, please visit the City’s website.
In terms of the work to address speeding on Trelawny Circle, we have now implemented all the changes we proposed to undertake following our extensive engagement with the public, and now we will monitor their effectiveness to see if any additional measures might be required. Thanks again to the hundreds of residents who shared their feedback on this important matter in our community. As always, if you want to see increased police enforcement of the speed limit and stopping compliance along Trelawny or any other street, please submit a request through the Peel Police Road Watch online form.
If you have further questions about the traffic calming initiatives on Trelawny Circle, please contact me by email anytime.
(updated December 2023)
OLDER INFORMATION
All Way Stop Traffic Study Results
The results of the traffic study at Trelawny Circle and Bishop Strachan Court have determined that the volume of traffic and collision history do not meet the warrants for an All Way Stop control at this intersection.
Volume
All Way Stops are an appropriate traffic control device where the volume of traffic at the intersecting roads is close to even. There is very little traffic approaching from Bishop Strachan Court relative to Trelawny Circle and past experience has shown that stopping compliance is low in such cases. The study also revealed sufficient gaps in traffic along Trelawny to provide adequate opportunity for vehicles turning from Bishop Strachan to do so safely without the assistance of an all way stop.
Collisions
For an all-way stop control to be warranted on a residential roadway, at least five (5) collisions must occur in a 12-month period, provided the collisions are of the type considered correctable by the use of an all-way stop (i.e. turning movement, angle collisions). A review of the collision history at the intersection did not reveal any reported collisions within the past three years. An all-way stop would not be warranted based on the collision history.
Speed
All Way Stop controls are not intended to be used as speed calming devices. In fact, studies have shown that motorists slow down only within 30 metres of the stop sign and in many cases will drive faster after the intersection, seemingly to make up for lost time. As noted earlier, stopping compliance is low at unwarranted All Way Stops, creating a potentially unsafe situation for other vulnerable road users, especially pedestrians. We have put other tools in place to address speed along Trelawny Circle and will be monitoring their effectiveness over the coming months.
Summary
Staff are not recommending an All Way Stop at this location and I agree with this assessment.
(updated September, 2023)
Community Safety Zone and Speed Limit Reduction
The first stage of the recommended and approved plan took place in late July 2023, namely reducing the speed limit from 50 km/hr to 40 km/hr, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week for the entire length of Trelawny Circle. The scope of work included converting the flashing 40 km/hr signs to school zone warning flashers, and posting static 40 km/hr ‘area’ signs and Community Safety Zones signs.
Now that this work is complete, Trelawny Circle will be eligible for Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) and we have put in a request to have sections of the road added to the list of locations for the deployment of ASE cameras, with the first hopefully being set up and operational before the end of the calendar year or in early 2024.
We will be sure to monitor the impact of these changes over time and make adjustments and re-evaluate as needed.
Please continue to put in requests for speed enforcement by police through Peel Police’s online Road Watch form. https://www.peelpolice.ca/en/report-it/make-a-report-online.aspx?_mid_=2061
Thank you to all who have participated in and provided feedback at the townhalls on this matter, as we continue to address the needs and uses of this unique street, with safety as a priority for all road users.
(updated August, 2023)
Summary of In-person Community Meeting on May 3.
I want to thank those who attended my latest community meeting related to speeding and aggressive driving on Trelawny Circle on May 3 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Secondary School. It was a lively session with plenty of good questions and suggestions. I’m also thankful to the City’s Road Safety staff for their presentation and attention to this issue. What’s below encapsulates a few notes as well as action items that have been taken since our time together on May 3rd.
As stated in the invitation to the meeting and during the staff presentation, the proposal on the table for consideration is to reduce the speed limit on all of Trelawny Circle to 40 km/hr full time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and establish Trelawny Circle as a community safety zone. The existing flashing school zone signs would remain, however, the signs would be retrofitted so that the flashing lights would serve as an attention-grabber for drivers and would no longer be tied to a time-of-day change in speed limit. There seemed to be a general consensus at the meeting that this approach was a welcome step in addressing speeding on this road.
There were several comments and questions about timing and implementation. My Ward 10 team engaged with staff immediately following the meeting and we are pleased to share that staff will be moving ahead with the above recommendations this summer, in time for the start of the new school year in September. We had advised you at the meeting that a report on this topic was referred back to staff for re-evaluation would not be dealt with for several months, but thankfully we do not have to wait for further discussion and decision on this report. Instead, this project on Trelawny Circle will be considered a pilot and will serve to inform the future direction of speed limits in school zones when the matter comes back to Council.
A suggestion was made to install an All Way Stop at the intersection of Trelawny Circle and Bishop Strachan Court. We have requested a traffic study for this intersection to determine the warrants for an all-way stop and anticipate this study will be completed before the end of June.
Finally, we promised to provide you with the link to request speed enforcement directly with Peel Police. Here it is again… ROAD WATCH LINK… and please note that you can ignore the section referencing a license plate because your request is of a general nature and not a specific incident of aggressive driving. By having several people request enforcement, it increases the prioritization of the enforcement activity at this location amid all the other requests across Peel Region.
(updated May 30, 2023)
OLDER INFORMATION
Many thanks to the many residents who attended one or both of the online community townhall meetings that I hosted regarding the issues related to speeding on Trelawny Circle.
On September 22, 2022, city staff presented some statistics on speed studies, provided information on the current road configuration of Trelawny and the regulations and policies that impact what changes are and are not permitted, and answered questions related to the topic.
SLIDE DECK – CITY
On January 11, 2023, Peel police officers presented statistics on speed enforcement on Trelawny Circle and introduced attendees to the revamped online traffic complaint reporting system called Road Watch, and answered questions related to the topic. City staff also attended and answered questions related to their expertise.
SLIDE DECK – POLICE
FILING A SPEEDING COMPLAINT – ROAD WATCH
Due to limited time, not all the questions posed during the Jan. 11 meeting were answered. The unanswered questions were presented to city staff and officers for their response and then collated into a single document available here:
REMAINING QUESTIONS ANSWERED
On November 1, 2022, I posted an online survey that sought feedback from the community on the preferred approach(es) to addressing speeding on Trelawny Circle. There were 267 responses. A summary of the results were shared at the end of the January 11 townhall and is available in the link here:
SLIDE DECK – SURVEY RESULTS
Next steps
I am planning to meet with staff and police to review the information gathered so far and discuss one or more approaches to present to the public for further consideration. In the meantime, city staff is working toward presenting a Corporate Report to Council with general, citywide recommendations around the automated speed enforcement program, community safety zone application, school zones on busier streets and related matters. The discussion at Council could inform what options may be considered for Trelawny Circle specifically. Furthermore, later this year, a pilot project is being initiated on Aquitaine Avenue from Tenth Line (abutting Trelawny Circle north leg) to Millcreek Drive that includes lane reconfiguration and that, too, could provide valuable information into the Trelawny Circle discussions.
I am planning to hold an in-person community meeting to further engage with the public on this important topic. Please watch (subscribe to) my Sue’s eNews for details on when and where this meeting will take place. Note: this meeting took place on Wed., May 3 – see summary above.