Isaac Brock, Highgate drives to get upgrades this fall

Traffic calming measures include narrowing roads, adding bike lane as cooler weather allows for painting markings

Upper Stoney Creek residents will finally get some pavement markings on a couple of highly used roadways this fall.

Martin White, manager of traffic operations, confirmed to Ward 9 Coun. Doug Conley that staff will get to Isaac Brock Drive and Highgate Drive after a year’s delay.

He said traffic staff have been busy with other projects and the hot weather has slowed down painting road markings. He said the optimum temperature for painting is 18 C, instead of the 32plus C that have covered the area this season.

Conley said he had been promised by city officials the work on both roads would be done a year ago. He said he was surprised when he was told the work would be put off until 2017. But White later assured him that traffic staff would be doing the work this fall.

“(Staff ) has been great,” he said. “I don’t want to criticize them. I know they have a lot of work that needs to get done.”

Conley said the plan is to narrow both Isaac Brock Drive and Highgate Drive and slow down traffic in those neighbourhoods. He said Isaac Brock Drive has not had lines since amalgamation.

“A lot of those lines have disappeared,” he said.

Isaac Brock Drive will also get a bike lane, which should also calm traffic for the neighbourhood, he said.

Highgate, which has an entrance from Centennial Parkway, doesn’t have any road markings. Slowing down traffic is also a priority for the roadway, particularly from Centennial to Pinewoods, said Conley. Cline Park is located on Highgate.

A traffic bump has already been installed on Highgate to slow down vehicles, said Conley.

Earlier this year Conley said he sat with a resident of Highgate and watched in disbelief as within an hour up to 30 vehicles drove through a stop sign at Highgate and Pinewoods.

He said motorists turning from Centennial onto Highgate are still going at about 90 kilometres and do not slow down.

“Thank goodness there have been no accidents,” he said. “There is a park there with families and children.”