Weekly newsletter: January 23, 2023

Happy Monday, and Happy Chinese New Year! Wishing everyone good health, peace, and prosperity this year of the rabbit. 新年快樂, 恭喜發財, 兔年大吉!

I never truly appreciated the holiday until the last few years, when it became one of the few times a year where I’d visit my family and childhood friends in the Greater Toronto Area. Good times, good company, and — best of all — good food.

Next week, I’m meeting with the Coordinator of Temporary Traffic Calming to learn more about the program and plans for 2023 in the ward.

Did you know ward councillors make the decisions behind the location and method of temporary calming used in their communities? Each ward has an annual budget of $50,000 to purchase and install measures at select locations.

The types of traffic calming used in Barrhaven include:

• Flex-posts and stakes

• Speed display boards

• Additional signage

• Pavement markings

As this is a new ward, we have the combined efforts of former councillors Harder and Meehan, who had 11 speed display boards, 18 extra signs, 141 pavement markings, and 21 stretches of local streets for flex-posts and stakes within our ward’s boundaries.

While the temporary measures have had some effect, I’m not convinced that they - along with the work that goes into removing and reinstalling them annually - are the solution to our problems.

We need to invest in permanent solutions throughout the ward, especially where the temporary measures are reinstated year after year after year. We can achieve better safety and long-term financial savings through permanent solutions.

I’m currently creating a comprehensive action plan to address traffic concerns throughout our ward. If all goes according to plan, it will be implemented over a few years, which means some temporary measures will remain in the meantime.

The plan will be shared with the public later this year!

Lastly, over the last few days, I’ve been reflecting on my two months as Councillor so far. I can’t thank you enough for being engaged in the community and with me by sharing concerns, feedback, suggestions, and general inquiries.

I hope the communications strategy my team and I have employed so far is effective in getting useful (sometimes fun) information out there! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there are places we can improve. I still have to get used to taking more photos when I’m at events.

Enjoy your week!

- Wilson