Motorists heading southbound on Moser Young Road from Bamberg may have noticed the absence of rumble strips approaching the intersection of Gerber Road after the road was repaved this summer.
Wellesley councillors opted against supporting the reinstallation of the traffic-calming measure during Monday night’s council meeting in response to a request from a concerned resident.
In a letter dated Oct. 20, Rosemary Kittel-McCormick asked council to have the rumble strips returned, citing safety concerns for her family, owners of the farm at the corner of Moser Young and Gerber.
The strips had been in place for nearly 20 years prior to the repaving work this summer, which was completed at a cost of approximately $820,000 and went from Weimar Line to Gerber Road.
“Since they originally went on, traffic has increased greatly and I now have children crossing the road to the barn, as well my father now uses a cane at times and it takes him longer to cross the road,” read the letter.
“We rely on these strips so drivers realize they have to slow down and stop.”
Under new Waterloo Region guidelines of best practices, the strips would likely have to be placed further north on Moser Young Road than they were previously, which led at least four residents in the Bamberg-area to raise noise concerns, said Mayor Ross Kelterborn.
He also cited the intersections excellent safety record and lack of collisions as another reason for not replacing the rumble strips.
Given the age of the old rumble strips, councillors noted that they were so worn prior to the repaving down they no longer made a significant difference in the way drivers navigated the road.
“You didn’t even get a rumble anymore going over those things. They were almost non-existent,” said Coun. Jim Olender, adding that he thoroughly agreed with the rumble strips just around the corner on Gerber Road approaching the intersection with Moser Young Road.
“When you’re coming over that hill people go like crazy coming down to that stop sign, and I fully agree with those ones, but I’m not so sure the others are that important.”
While the cost of installing rumble strips is negligible, according to executive director of operations Will McLaughlin, Coun. Herb Neher was concerned that the installation of these rumble strips would set a precedent for other intersections throughout the township.
“If you do it for one, everyone with a house near an intersection or has kids running around a street will want rumble strips or want a crosswalk. You’ve got signs that say stop, what more do we need? Flashing lights? How far do you go with these things? Drivers are drivers, and if people don’t drive properly I don’t think the rumble strips really do that much.”
The ultimate decision of installing the rumble strips falls on regional council, as it is a regional road, and their decision will likely come during their first meeting in December, said Kelterborn.
