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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBy-law No. 2018-085 THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF BAYHAM BY-LAW NO. 2018-085 BEING A BY-LAW TO ADOPT MUNICIPALITY OF BAYHAM SPEED LIMIT ASSESSMENT POLICY WHEREAS the Council of The Corporation of the Municipality of Bayham recognizes the need for a clear and concise policy to maintain speed limits on Municipality of Bayham roads; AND WHEREAS the Council of The Corporation of the Municipality of Bayham deems it advisable that the Municipality of Bayham Speed Limit Assessment Policy be confirmed and adopted by By-law; THEREFORE THE COUNCIL OF THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF BAYHAM ENACTS AS FOLLOWS: 1. THAT effective upon passage the Municipality of Bayham Speed Limit Assessment Policy attached hereto as Schedule "A" and forming part of this by-law is hereby adopted; 2. AND THAT this by-law shall come into force and take effect on the final passing thereof. READ A FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD TIME AND FINALLY PASSED THIS 4th DAY OF OCTOBER 2018. f MAYOR -g,AYH44 Apo jtunity is SPEED LIMIT ASSESSMENT POLICY Section 1 —Overview 1.1 The Municipality of Bayham sets speed limits in accordance with the Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8 with default speed limits being: i. 50 kilometres per hour on a highway within a built-up area; ii. 80 kilometres per hour on a highway, not within a built-up area. 1.2 The Municipality of Bayham road network is a dynamic system. The critical parameters of roadside environment, road geometry, adjacent land use and access frequency are considered when establishing a speed zone. Generally accepted justifications for speed limit revisions include: i. Changing Land Use - Urbanization resulting from new development and infrastructure can include changing land uses and traffic patterns along the road corridor. When communities are built adjacent to roads, operating conditions of these roads may change to reflect increases in volumes, intersections, driveway connections, turning movements, pedestrians, cyclists and transit activities. ii. Promoting Consistent Speed Limits - Speed limits that change frequently within short distances on the same road can result in driver confusion and low compliance of speed limits. Limiting the number of speed zone changes encourages driver compliance. iii. Improving Traffic Operations - Credible speed limits that match driver expectations for a given roadway and its surrounding area improve traffic operations, increase speed limit compliance, provide a clear reminder to violators and reduce arbitrary enforcement and conviction tolerances. With the appropriate posted speed limit, the amount of time drivers have to react to potential hazards is also increased. 1.3 The intent of the Municipality of Bayham Speed Limit Assessment Procedure is to maintain speed limits on Municipality of Bayham roads that promote public safety and have a reasonable expectation of driver adherence. Section 2 —Application 2.1 The Municipality of Bayham Speed Limit Assessment Policy shall be applicable to all roads under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Bayham within the Municipality of Bayham. 2.2 Elgin County shall be responsible for all speed limit alteration requests for all roads under the jurisdiction of Elgin County within the Municipality of Bayham. i. The Municipality of Bayham shall refer all speed limit alteration requests to the Elgin County Director of Engineering Services for consideration. Section 3 — Procedure 3.1 Upon receipt of a written request for a speed limit alteration, the Road Operations Supervisor will: i. Receive the request for information and take no action; or ii. Conduct a Speed Limit Assessment pursuant to the Municipality of Bayham Speed Limit Assessment Policy and: a. Take no action and the speed limit remains unchanged; or b. Extend or modify the limits of a built-up area' or 'not within a built- up area' and sign accordingly; or c. Make recommendation to Council to modify the posted rate of speed on a subject section of road by by-law. 3.2 All decisions of the Road Operations Supervisor may be appealed to and considered by Council. i. A person must submit a request in writing for Council to consider an appeal. The written request must be submitted in accordance with the Municipality of Bayham Procedural By-law. Section 4 — Speed Limit Assessment Policy 4.1 The Municipality of Bayham sets speed limits in accordance with the Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8 with default speed limits being: i. 50 kilometres per hour on a highway within a built-up area; ii. 80 kilometres per hour on a highway, not within a built-up area. 4.2 The Municipality of Bayham road network is monitored through road patrols and biennial traffic counts to determine Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT). 4.3 Where speed limit alterations are requested the Road Operations Supervisor will assess the speed limit based upon setting a posted speed limit at or near the 85th percentile speed based on actual measurements of the highway operating speed or as indicated in the Highway Traffic Act. The 85th percentile speed is the speed at which 85% of the vehicles are travelling at or below. 4.4 The consideration of a speed limit at or near the 85th percentile speed is supported by external traffic engineering studies regarding driver behaviour, which have proven the following: i. Drivers tend to drive at a speed that they feel comfortable based on roadway geometrics and roadside development; ii. Setting the posted speed limit at the 85th percentile speed will generally result in a low dispersion in the travel speeds in the traffic stream; iii. Lowering the posted speed limit has little effect on the long term operating speed; iv. A posted speed limit that is set too low will result in a significant number of reasonable drivers operating illegally, place unnecessary burdens on law enforcement personnel and lead to a lack of credibility of the posted speed limit and results in unsafe conditions due to differential vehicle speeds and the creation of overtaking manoeuvres. v. Setting speed limits consistent with road characteristics and surrounding environments encourages compliance and improves traffic operations. Section 5— Hidden Driveway Signage 5.1 Hidden Driveway Signage requests will be assessed by the Road Operations Supervisor. 5.2 Where the Road Operations Supervisor determines a Hidden Driveway Sign may be applicable the Hidden Driveway Sign shall be installed by the Public Works Department at the expense of the applicant. 5.3 Future maintenance and/or replacement of the subject Hidden Driveway Signage will be the responsibility and expense of the Municipality of Bayham.