A pair of busy roadways in Chatham-Kent are going on a diet.
On Monday night council approved a few staff "road diet" recommendations for sections of Chatham Street North and South in Blenheim and Charing Cross Road/Queen Street in the communities of Chatham, Harwich and Raleigh. A road diet is also referred to as lane configuration and is designed to improve safety by either reducing or narrowing lanes.
The two projects involve the installation of two north and south through lanes (one in each direction), a designated centre turning lane, and will accommodate for bike lanes on both sides of the road
The road diet project is described as a cost-effective way to improve transportation on the municipality's main arterial roads. It will be achieved through road line painting which can be reverted back or changed inexpensively based on future studies.
According to Director of Engineering Chris Thibert, the project will help improve traffic flow, improve left turns into driveways and at intersections as well as help with accident reduction.
"We've consulted with numerous other municipalities throughout this project and while researching this project," said Thibert. "Road diet projects have been very successful throughout the province for a number of years now on roads with an annual daily traffic volume of approximately up to 14,000."
The following recommendations were approved by council:
Chatham Street North and South in the Community of Blenheim be reconfigured as follows: a) On-Street parking be removed: i) On both sides of Chatham Street South between Talbot Street East/West and Jane Street to allow for the implementation of the intersection lane reconfigurations described in Recommendation 1 b) i). ii) On both sides of Chatham Street North between Talbot Street East/West and the northerly limit.
b) Lane and associated pavement markings be installed: i) At the intersection of Talbot Street East/West for northbound and southbound opposing left turn lanes, two through lanes, and a northbound right turn lane ii) Between Story Street and Talbot Street East/West for a continuous centre left turn lane, single north and southbound through lanes, and bicycle lanes on each side.
2. Charing Cross Road in the Communities of Harwich and Raleigh, and Queen Street in the Community of Chatham be reconfigured from the current four-lane cross-section between Cecile Avenue and Doyle Line to a three-lane cross-section to a continuous centre left turn lane, single north and southbound through lanes, and bicycle lanes on each side.
3. The current 80 km/h speed limit zone on Charing Cross Road be reduced to 70 km/h between a point 50 m south of Eighth Line and a point 394 metres south of English Line
This is not the first diet for roads in Chatham-Kent. According to Thibert, Chatham-Kent currently had four roads that have been successfully converted using the road diet strategy including McNaughton Avenue East and Sandys Street in Chatham as well as Murray Street and Margaret Avenue in Wallaceburg.
"All four of these roads are operating very well and we have received no complaints to date regarding the operating of these roads with the road diet strategy," said Thibert.
Total costs to implement the road diets are estimated at $120,278. In addition, Thibert said the widening of the Charing Cross Road and Indian Creek intersection to install left turn lanes that are currently identified in the Chatham-Kent Master Plan will no longer be required as a result of the road diet project, representing a cost avoidance of $750,000.
Renderings of the project can be viewed by clicking here.
