A Hot Take for a Cold Day

Have you ever tried to turn left onto Eagleson Road from Flewellyn Road? Or turn left onto Flewellyn Road from Eagleson Road? The intersection of Eagleson and Flewellyn Roads is a three-way junction, also known as a T-intersection, which sees lots of traffic and has only one stop sign. This intersection is one that the City has identified that would benefit from traffic signals… 16 years ago. Here we are today and there are still no traffic signals.

There are currently 19 intersections in rural Ottawa which have been determined to meet the requirements for the installation of traffic signals. However, there is only money available for 6 of these locations.

We know that the likelihood of getting into a serious or fatal collision is greater in rural areas. I previously published an article about rural road safety and how collisions in rural Ontario accounted for approximately half of all traffic fatalities on municipal roads. These collisions are preventable with the deployment of more traffic management devices and speed reduction measures, including traffic signals and roundabouts.

This shouldn’t be news to some people, but I have written and talked about how underserviced rural areas are. While someone might be quick to point fingers and assign blame, the delays in getting a traffic signal at the Eagleson and Flewellyn Roads and other rural intersections are simply a result of institutional inefficiencies. In other words, there is little to no money available to fund construction that would improve traffic flow at intersections and enhance safety across our rural areas. This lack of service delivery is something that I am working to change.

More change is coming. Soon, I will introduce a motion to fix this issue once and for all, to get the necessary funding for these traffic signals for currently warranted locations and to ensure that this infrastructure deficit does not grow again. Later this year, the Rural Summit will work to resolve longstanding issues facing rural communities and allow rural Ottawa to set its own priorities more effectively. Additionally, as part of the recently announced funding agreement between the City of Ottawa and the Province of Ontario, rural Ottawa will receive $50 Million to invest in rural road upgrades and other rural priorities.

The “gears” of government have always moved slowly, and my team and I have been working hard to make sure the “oil” goes where it needs to. Improving the lives of rural residents is not only my job but it is also my passion, because long after I leave public office, I will still be a resident of rural Ottawa.