Changes to turning lanes in Bolton being re-evaluated

Written By MARK PAVILONS

What was intended as a measure to help traffic flow through Bolton's core seems to have had the opposite effect.

A long-time business owner said the revamped intersection and turning lanes have led to increased flow and speeds past his business. It makes getting into and out of the parking lot hazardous, and leaves no room for delivery vehicles to stop.

Tony Viola, owner of Allegro, said southbound drivers are speeding past his establishment and it's very dangerous. Even walking on the sidewalk is now an unpleasant experience.

Viola said he spoke with Bolton councillor Tony Rosa, who stopped and looked at the situation. Rosa, fellow councillors and Caledon Mayor Allan Thompson visited the core to witness the traffic. They have spoken with officials at Peel Region about the lane changes.

Rosa noted they needed to see first-hand the traffic situation. Everyone agreed this current design is not working and they're hopeful “plan B” will be much better. Rosa said the Region is also working with current traffic data, which is not accurate, and much lighter than normal given the COVID-19 pandemic. When traffic gets “back to normal” it will be much worse through the core.

The first step, Rosa pointed out, was admitting there was a problem. He said Caledon reps will let the experts come up with a new plan. Once the changes are implemented, the situation will be monitored. At this point it's temporary, and once new data and comparisons are done, a decision will be made on the permanent changes.

But Rosa assured Caledon will keep working on it “until we get it right.”

The single northbound lane now creates a bottleneck, creating a long line of impatient drivers.

Viola said noise levels have increased substantially and few drivers obey the posted 50 km/h speed limit.

This only adds to the pressures and makes life difficult for business owners trying to make a living. The COVID-19 pandemic devastated the restaurant business and now that Allegro's patio is open, visitors have to contend with increased traffic.

Viola, former chair of the BIA, knows all about traffic issues in the downtown core.

Peel Region also recently installed yellow and black road signs, crimping through traffic at certain spots in the core. It's meant to discourage drivers from using the parking lanes as through lanes.