Bracebridge Council approved an all-way stop at the Taylor Road and Rosewarne Drive intersection
Bracebridge Council approved an all-way stop at the Taylor Road and Rosewarne Drive intersection, in the August 14, 2024 meeting.
According to the staff report, the one-way stop will be revised to an all-way stop.
The report adds that the Public Works Department has been approached for years from residents and motorists with various complaints, indicating “unsafe driving conditions created by large commercial vehicle traffic on Rosewarne Drive.”
The concerns also include “restricted visibility and unsafe driving conditions created by commercial vehicles parking on the shoulders of the road along the frontage of Fowler’s Work’s Yard,” indicates the report.
The report continues that Rosewarne Drive, a semi-urban area approximately 2 kilometres extending from Taylor Road, provides access to the Landfill and Transfer Station Sites, Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Facility, Fowler Construction and other commercial companies, and residential properties.
According to the Town’s 2023 Roads Needs Study Report, “The average annual daily traffic on Rosewarne Drive is approximately 1,500 vehicles per day.” The speed limit is 60 km/hr.
In 2023, the Town hired engineer consultants, D.M. Wills Associates Limited to conduct a study in the area, including reviewing traffic conditions, informing staff about issues, and providing recommendations for improvements.
The staff report indicates that Wills traffic study analyzed traffic during peak periods, including the morning, midday, and afternoon, “including traffic counts, turning movement counts, visibility and sight distance measurements, and intersection traffic control.”
It adds that the study was completed in November 2023 and found “a substantial amount of this traffic volume consists of commercial truck vehicles attending the waste disposal facilities and various commercial enterprises.”
Recommendations of the study indicated Taylor Road and Kirk Line (east) “have insufficient sight distance when looking east due to dense vegetation that can be addressed by regular roadside brushing and mowing; and… An all-way stop control is warranted at the three-way intersection of Rosewarne Drive and Taylor Road in a large part due to the total traffic volume on the three (3) approaches.”
The Town By-law will be amended to reflect the revision to the intersection, and staff anticipate the recommendations will improve traffic and safety concerns at the intersection.
