Cutting Edge Traffic Control Proposed for Newmarket Residents

TP will go to the far edges for you to get things done

Speeding Traffic

Going door to door during this Ward 5 campaign, one of the issues that jumps out more than some others is speeding traffic - particularly along short-cut type routes on some back roads frequented by school kids and in some cases around schools. Speed bumps have been found to be ineffective, with speeders tending to race from bump to bump while they just slow down emergency vehicles so what else can we do?

There are a number of ways to combat this and one is by using mobile speed display boards, which studies in areas of York Region have shown such use reduce speeds by 20% which I feel rotating locations with 2 per ward would suffice, and by increasing public safety messages, as well as increase use and awareness of Road Watch - but one of the most creative ideas I'm seeing implemented would cost no more than it would to repaint line lanes and acts as an additional deterrent to fast driving, called Edge-Lines. something they use in traffic calming measures.

Cutting Edge Traffic Control

The edge-line lanes system, according to Aftab from the Traffic Department in Markham, has been so successful that residents have been requesting it after seeing its successful use on other local roads.

Not To Scale

What the edge-line system consists of a creation of an inner lines pathway that juts suddenly one way then another in enough timed succession that it forces the driver to slow down to follow it. The best case scenario has them start out with a 9 M wide road and the edges of the street ( 3 1/2 M) are then utilized depending on location, as parking lanes in some cases, bike paths in others or non-use in others depending on the situation / location. A 7 M's width base can also be used need be, perhaps using only one side edge for stretches.

Used in Thornhill by the City Of Markham on various stretches, including their Green Lane, Yonge / Baythorne and Royal Orchard Blvd., it serves as a unique cost efficient method to effectively slow down traffic and I believe it would be a transferable, safe, solution to add to Newmarket's roads safety plan.

TP has pushed for this rail trestle be used as a mural art piece for youth for some years now See TP's Video

I actually came across the road safety system as I drove a road using the edge-line system, remarking out loud how ingenious I thought it was. It's something that is tough to visualize and so for those purposes I will attempt  a drawing to show the edge- lines lanes system...but please it is not to scale!

By providing a location to 'art up". we can be proactive about vandalism

Combine all of the above to work together cohesively and we have the trappings of a pretty good roads safety system.Thinking outside the box, with a tried and tested method, this is the type of work you can expect from me as a Councillor - using resources to find answers that help me serve the townsfolk as best I can.

At the end of the day its about finding solutions or aids to problems being experienced by the residents and the town...everything else is secondary.

Tom Pearson4Council out!

Ward 5 Newmarket - Byelection Trails and Tales

Sign day was a bungle for me, not being a savvy political guy, but for the Sign Gods, its sacred. While several candidate had their signs out in areas that another had cried was not allowed until 10am Monday - and not the day before - I myself found it confusing as the sheet in my info pack only mentions the dates they can "Go up around Town" with no 10am mention, but the sign police person assured me she was at the same meeting I was at when we were told...Gulp...Okay..I've had a lot of info to decipher..but since I had seen others with signs up all the day prior, I'd thought putting up 15 minutes early to save time with limited use of a delivery van to do so wouldn't kill them. Wrong.

The next day as my bungle continued I removed a few more from spots someone was nice enough to inform me were not allowed. Not sure why, but I don't ask questions at this point as to why certain things seem so important.

Newmarket's Library is not in the Official Plan and could come into play with a conditional development deal

Fair enough. Truth is I never planned to keep up with the Jones' on signs because there is just no way I can compete $. Instead I will pluck away connecting one on one and adding a few signs in key spots to show there is some support for the underdog, one who, based on his track record, should be the chosen one - in my humble opinion. This is the one time people can buck the status quo (or their spouse lol) and pick a true champion of the people, one with a track record of community building in Newmarket for over 25 years marked in 2012 with the awarding of The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.

TP supports the high rise growth areas to be at the Yonge and Davis corridor not throughout historic Main st

One new "signee" I met as he sat outside on a bench, whom I never even noticed was missing half a leg until 5 or 10 minutes into our conversation, and had been a construction worker who usually took transit from Newmarket to Keswick on this job. Only one day he decided to ride a bike. He does not recall the accident but it's taken years to get over it, including a brain injury and getting adjusted to an artificial leg. Depression had also come along with it he'd added and that often the care givers didn't care. Then I told him about my tagline, ' I Really Do Care".

"When the smoke clears, and it came to it, an adjudicator would likely come in at around 5-6 floors". Tom Pearson

" I put that on there because the people who I have gone to bat for would say that about me".

He read my card and asked intelligent questions including what I meant by Organizing York Region's largest collaboration? Which I told him I enabled the only ever social audit in York Region history which included gathering community leaders, business leaders, politicians, social service agency workers, field workers, social workers and those with lived experience and through testimonial type data gathering and discussion groups you take all that and come up with a report with plans of action which I co-wrote.

In this case, York Region Council did endorse it in principle and it was forwarded to Queens Park to hopefully be be useful in their Reduction strategies.

See the "Making Of" Social Audit Video here Produced by Tom Pearson

We talked some more as well with a neighbour of his and it was time well spent. Not for the votes, but for reminding me to be grateful of having two good legs and a fairly good health.You can look up and see the world against you and let the power of their budgets and behind the scenes players get you down or you can chip, chip away by connecting with people one at a time instead of trying to compete with a web of people backing a horse that can be reigned in whenever needed - as opposed to someone who will look out for only the best interests of the townsfolk. If my job is to look out for the best interests of the town believe you me that is what I will do..to no end.. and you can ask anyone who has had me go to bat for them should you have any doubts about that.

It's times like this we need someone in we can trust to the best bidding for the townsfolk and I think I'm just that person.

Vote for someone that really stands for the people and who really does care. Click here for more.

Call or text 289-221-0928 to contact Tom directly or to get a lawn sign.