THUNDER BAY – A city councillor’s call for a report exploring ways to improve safety on Dawson Road received a lukewarm reception at city hall Monday, narrowly passing over objections it will only re-tread familiar territory.
Council voted 7-5 to receive a report as proposed by Coun. Mark Bentz, who called it a way to address residents’ safety concerns in the absence of a Designated Truck Route (DTR) that would move heavy trucks off Dawson altogether. The DTR remains stalled, with council deadlocked on the issue.
The safety concerns are “primarily related to interactions between tractor-trailer units and other vehicular traffic,” Bentz wrote in a memo.
A series of fatal collisions involving transport trucks on Highway 102, which turns into Dawson Road, put the issue back in the spotlight last year.
Speed reductions, photo radar, road redesign, signage, and enforcement are among the solutions staff will now consider for the city-controlled portion of Dawson Road. The motion also directs the city to work with Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation on potential improvements to its section of the roadway.
Administration is directed to report back by Aug. 9 with recommendations for improvements, along with cost estimates.
Coun. Albert Aiello, who represents residents along Dawson as McIntyre Ward councillor and has been vocal on the issue (he estimated Monday he spends over half his time on truck-related complaints), said he’s not holding his breath.
“There’s really not much more we can do on that stretch of road,” he said. “It seems like this is more of a make-work project for administration, really. I believe they’ve done the best they can without having a Designated Truck Route.”
Several councillors who support the DTR questioned the point of further advice when it hadn’t been heeded before, pointing to council's 7-6 vote against implementing a DTR in 2020, after administration recommended it, finding it would reduce the rate of fatal collisions.
“We’ve done everything we can possibly do, unless we want to put in speed bumps,” said Coun. Trevor Giertuga. “Administration has told us how we could make Dawson Road safer – enact the DTR.”
Giertuga, a longtime McIntyre Ward councillor before being elected at-large in 2018, also questioned the timing of Bentz’s motion.
“If I thought further traffic calming measures would increase safety, I would have brought it forward years ago in conjunction with the DTR. I wouldn’t have waited until six months before an election.”
Councillors including Bentz have argued the DTR would only shift safety problems around, speculating the Highway 11/17 extension is unprepared to handle an estimated 1,000 more trucks a day.
Council received three previous reports and one memo on safety improvements on Dawson Road, Giertuga noted.
“We already had the safety improvement recommendation from our professional engineers, which was the DTR,” agreed Coun. Cody Fraser. “I don’t know what else we could really do.”
Bentz argued some solutions, like adding a turning lane at Mapleward Road, hadn’t yet been explored.
“This is a way for council to say to administration, safety is important on that road, we’ve had some concerns voiced, let’s deal with them,” he said. “You may think you understand all of the engineering features that could be added to a road – I’d much rather hear from our engineers on that than people around the table.”
Administration is already scheduled to report on possibilities for automated speed enforcement, noted director of engineering Kayla Dixon.
The city has limited tools to address the perceived root of the problem, the number of heavy trucks on the road, she said, and has already reduced the speed limit on the approach into the city from 60 km/h to 50 km/h.
Coun. Rebecca Johnson pressed administration on whether a report was in fact worthwhile.
“I expect there would be some minor improvements off the top that we could make,” said Dixon. “What those might mean to actual safety on the road, I can’t really put a number on that.”
Coun. Andrew Foulds said the DTR had become a “conundrum” council had to move past.
“I supported the DTR, and I still believe it’s the best way forward,” he said. “But at this point, it’s not moving. Coun. Bentz and I didn’t agree on the DTR… but I want to recognize [he] has put something forward that may move the dial slightly.”
Bentz’s motion was split at Giertuga’s request. The portion calling for a report on new safety measures for Dawson passed 7-5, with Couns. Aiello, Ch’ng, Fraser, Giertuga, and Ruberto voting against and Coun. Brian Hamilton absent.
Another portion calling for the city to work with the MTO and Ontario Trucking Association to advocate for increased training and awareness for truck drivers passed 9-2, with Fraser and Ruberto against.
