Wait-and-see is the plan for Sunny Life traffic
Town hasn’t asked the county to study newly busy intersection
Things are gearing up on the south end of Campbellford. More homes are being added to the Haven on the Trent and the Sunny Life Recreation and Wellness Centre is coming to life.
Since Oct. 18 the centre has been the site of hockey games and practices and the Northumberland YMCA hopes to open the swimming pool and fitness area later this month. Since 99 per cent of attendees will be driving, that means more traffic to and from the area.
All this means that the intersection of County Road 30 and Seymour Quarry Road is becoming busy. Several weeks ago, I heard from a resident who was concerned about what will happen when a hockey tournament is wrapping up and parents with tired players are trying to turn left onto the county road.
I spent about half an hour watching traffic there one day a couple of weeks ago and saw several calls that were closer than I would have liked as driver. Looking for a gap in traffic coming out of town, several drivers pulled in front of on-coming vehicles.
To be fair, this isn’t surprising. I’ve been a driver, cyclist, and runner for more than 50 years and Campbellford is the most dangerous place I have ever found. I have narrowly avoided being hit in crosswalks and routinely watch people blithely driving through red lights and stop signs in town.
My theory is that many drivers who have lived here all their lives aren’t ready to accept that nowadays there are likely to be other cars and trucks on the road, so they don’t expect to have to stop at signs, or red lights, or obey normal driving rules.
This perspective made me receptive to the idea that someone with expertise should look at the Sunny Life intersection and apply their engineering knowledge.
I was pleased at the council meeting on Oct. 22, just after the facility opened, to learn that I wasn’t alone.
Councillor Rick English said that after attending a game, “I did have difficulty pulling out onto County Road 30 on Saturday afternoon, so I think the county will probably be questioned once the Y gets opened about doing a study. Something is going to have to give there, that is for sure.”
English noted there will be increased traffic on Trent Drive too going to the rink and said it will take time for drivers to get comfortable.
I thought a traffic study would have been part of the planning before locating the rec centre in the industrial space, but that happened before I started paying close attention to council’s activities and assumed I had just missed it.
Turns out that as often happens, my assumptions were wrong. The plan is to wait-and-see if problems arise, then study them.
“We have not received any comments or concerns,” Lynn Phillips, the town’s chief administrative officer said in an email. “If there are traffic concerns after the facility is fully open and operational, we will speak with the county.”
She noted that English had only said he expects “there to be concerns after the Y opens.”
It seems that so far no one, other than me, has raised the issue with the county.
“I reached out to our public works team and have confirmed the county has not been made aware of any traffic safety concerns via the public or the municipality related to this intersection,” Kate Campbell, director of communications at the county, said in an email.
I have no expectation that the county or the town is going to listen to me. But if you have issues you can contact the county through this webpage.
Outbreaks over in Trent Hills
The COVID-19 outbreaks at Campbellford Memorial Hospital and Hillside Haven Retirement Residence are both over now, according to the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge Health Unit.
The outbreak at Aspira Island Park is also over. It turned out to be a rhinovirus, aka the common cold.
There are outbreaks at a couple of retirement homes in Cobourg.
Others plan to donate their Fordbucks
After I wrote last week that I plan to donate my $200 in Fordbucks to the Campbellford Memorial Hospital since I think that’s what the province should be doing with the money, I heard from several other readers who plan to do the same thing.
I know some folks are trying to make this a more organized and broader effort, so I’ll keep you posted on how that goes.
We’re likely to receive the money closer to the expected spring election, perhaps in late January.
You can read all Trent Hills News stories anytime on the website.
"The plan is to wait-and-see if problems arise, then study them."
They're kidding, right? There will be a four way traffic stop at this intersection. The only question is who needs to die to get council to take it seriously?
Having used the intersection for the past 38 years, I can attest that traffic has increased steadily at the intersection in the last few years, mostly due to vehicles, including many large trucks, bypassing Campbellford via Bannon Road between County Rd 35 and County Rd 30. Bannon Rd and Cty Rd 35 also needs to be studied. Add to the bypass traffic, an increased number of vehicles using the now paved back roads feeding through Mahoney Rd making this a quick alternative for people living in and north of Warkworth, though Greenly Rd, 6th Concession Rd East, Skinkle Rd and Crestview Rd.
With the other increased traffic outlined in your article, this intersection is destined to become a flash point in the coming months. It doesn't take an engineering degree to figure these things out. I hope council will take this issue more seriously and do someone before someone gets hurt.
I use this intersection all the time to avoid the intersection at McDonald and Drummond. It is dangerous due to the high traffic volumes coming out of Campbellford and now out of the sports centre. On the other side there is a lot of traffic turning and coming out of the sanitation centre. The County will have those figures due to the weigh in. The Hydro pole needs to be moved and the grass needs to be trimmed to give a clear view. Traffic lights would be the answer and not an overhead light at 30 and the road into Warkworth.
Councillor English seems to be confused on the name Tanner Rd. I would think he means Trent Drive. Tanner Rd is where there has been numerous water main breaks and the road has moguls similar to a ski hill due to poor patches as the administration wouldn,t do a proper patch as it would cost too much. Being a Trent Hill resident for a number of years we were told that this area would be the next water and sewer project. Engage engineering had an open house at the council chambers showing what would be done attended by Council members Pope and Giddings. They studied the problems at the direction of the Council and now the Mayor Bob Crate says only if money is available.
Come on Mayor Crate stand up at County Council forget a traffic study and propose traffic lights at the intersection and fine the money to do the rebuild of Trent Island water and sewer.