Consecon ratepayers have been seeking reduced speed limit on Loyalist Parkway for 11 years

UPDATE: Council approved a reduction of the speed limit from Millennium Trail to County Road 1 to 60km/h. The area will be further analyzed as part of the Transportation Master Plan.

The Consecon Area Ratepayers Association (CARA) has been seeking a reduced speed limit along Loyalist Parkway for more than a decade.

“There have been 17 requests for speed reductions brought to the Committee of the Whole since 2009,” said Nick Nowitski, a former councillor, and founder and president of CARA.

Nowitski plans to stand before council at Tuesday’s regular meeting seeking support to approve the most recent request to reduce the speed limit for Loyalist Parkway from the Millennium Trail to County Road 1 to 60km/h from 80km/h. Council at its Committee of the Whole meeting earlier this month, also noted it would like to see the area be further analyzed as part of the Transportation Master Plan.

In 2008, CARA sought new signage and lower speed limits to help alert and invite visitors to the village of Consecon. His deputation for Tuesday, focuses on the patient wait for change, and safety factors.

“In 2010 as a newly-elected councillor, I sat on the Traffic Committee in hopes of getting some action on the speed limit,” his deputation notes. “In 2011, the chair said that there was money available in the budget of the reconstruction of County Road 29 to do a traffic study. Even though we saved $121,000, unfortunately, there was no money left for the study… And there was no money available in the 2012 public works budget… Well, here we are in the tail-end of 2019 – some 11 years later – and we are close.”

Nowitski notes in his presentation the Ministry of Transportation has a speed sign for the curve indicating 60km/h since before amalgamation, but only for southbound vehicles.

“The northbound don’t even know there is a curve ahead,” he notes. “Also, you can see there is no indication of the hidden intersection of County Road 29 ahead, only Salem Road.”

Consecon, he states, is the only village along the Parkway that is not 60km/h. He also speaks to the road in poor weather conditions.

“The section of highway from the Millennium Trail to County Road 29 is a partially super elevated curve that has wicked westerly winds coming from Lake Ontario, blowing over Wellers Bay, depositing snow and causing white-out conditions,” adding that in the summer, leaves on the trees also block drivers’ views.

His presentation shares a photograph of the curve.

“The Robinsons have three children waiting for two buses, twice a day. Can you see the bus and stop in time? Well, the driver of a loaded dump truck with a pup trailer didn’t see it, and by the time he came to a stop, he was looking down into the middle of the bus. Luckily the kids had already crossed the road.”

He also spoke to other numerous close-calls and several accidents along the road, including three fatalities.

“The examples are only part of the picture,” he notes in his deputation. “The other end of Loyalist Parkway at County Road 1 has had its share of horror stories – many accidents, close calls and a few major injuries, and deaths, in this area too.”

He notes there are not many people who live on the Loyalist Parkway in that area but adds there is a subdivision being contemplated, a busy new restaurant, and many people turning onto, and off of the highway.

Despite past and current calls for traffic studies, Nowitski said engineering studies leave out what’s most important – “The human factor. Our goal is to make this area a safe place to drive for everyone.”

Council meets Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Shire Hall. Consecon’s and other speed limit changes are on the docket for approval.