Councillor gets response to letter writing campaign
A letter writing campaign launched by Clearview councillor Marty Beelen has sent a clear message to Simcoe County. Beelen asked residents to write to Rob Elliott, the county’s General Manager of Engineering, Planning and Environment to support the demand for traffic lights at County Road 9 and Centre Line Road.
Beelen told this week’s meeting of township council that there were three accidents at the infamous intersection over the past weekend, and at least eight in the last three weeks. “I am convinced we need traffic lights. The county has told me that a round-about is out of the question and that traffic lights are very expensive.”
Beelen says Elliott phoned him on Wednesday to report he has received more than 80 letters.
Elliott says he is well aware of the problems at Centre Line and County Road 9. His team has been working with first responders to gather details on accidents at the intersection to understand the root causes of the problem so that any decisions can be data driven.
Elliott reported that in the short term, signs will be modified to read “two-way stop”. In the mid term, Elliott’s team will consider making it a four-way stop, and possibly reducing the speed limit on County Road 9 for 500 metres on either side of Centre Line.
Going forward, the county will examine the need for traffic lights at the intersection. Elliott told Beelen that a set of lights costs approximately $300,000, plus engineering costs and roadwork and this is not the most dangerous intersection in the county. There are intersections in Innisfil Township which report more accidents which still do not have traffic lights.
Beelen would have liked to hear details on what will be done and when, but is pleased that the letter writing campaign helped to get a response and a path forward. He will be making a motion at the next Clearview council meeting to lower the speed limit on Center Line from Highway 26 all the way to the south end of Clearview. He says “This will hopefully change GPS routing and lower traffic volumes on Center Line. It will mean slightly longer travel times for locals.”