County considers uses for traffic data

By Chad Ingram

The following are brief reports of items discussed during an Aug. 14 Haliburton County roads committee meeting.

Councillors
on the county’s roads committee would like to see the data collected by
the county’s digital radar traffic signs analyzed and if it’s
demonstrated that certain areas present systemic speeding issues, have
that information passed to the OPP. 

The
county owns two of the signs, which are moved around to different
areas, recently stationed near Kawagama Lake, Ingoldsby and Highland
Grove. The devices, which display in red lighting how fast vehicles are
travelling, have been shown to modify motorists’ behaviour, mitigating
speeding. They also collect and store traffic data, and Algonquin
Highlands Mayor Carol Moffatt said she’d like to see that data analyzed
and put to use. 

“If
we’re not tracking it and knowing the outcome, then what’s the point?”
Moffatt said. “You can say, you know, we’re changing behaviour . . . but
if we’re going to do it, then we should do something with it.” 

“It
changes behaviour, we’ve had evidence here and elsewhere,” said Minden
Hills Mayor Brent Devolin, adding that taking action against speeding in
certain areas would require investing money and resources. 

“And
so, without the analysis of the data, we can’t identify the trouble
spots where we would make the choice to invest that kind of money or
energy to try to do something,” Moffatt said, adding that council could
request targeted police patrols of certain areas, for example. 

Public works director Craig Douglas said that the data could be passed along to the OPP.
Dysart
et al Deputy Mayor Pat Kennedy suggested that the data be regularly
presented to the roads committee, so members could keep an eye on
speeding trends, and suggested a sample info package be brought to a
future meeting. 

“I
philosophically disagree with us doing this, it should be an OPP
initiative, not ours, but that’s a topic for another day,” Kennedy said.

Boosting roads budget 

Staff
are requesting a one-time $3 million increase in the county’s capital
roads budget for 2020, and are suggesting borrowing those funds. 

“Staff
are very pleased with the incremental budget increases that are moving
the county towards sustainability in capital roads works,” a report from
pubic works director Craig Douglas reads. “However, the roads
infrastructure gap remains an issue because our resurfacing program will
remain one step behind the needs of the roads over the next five years.
In fact, unless additional steps are taken, the level of service of the
roads is forecast to worsen in the short term before we see a
significant rebound in the overall performance of the county roads.” 

The county’s capital roads spending for 2019 was approximately $3.2 million. 

While
councillors on the committee supported the idea of a one-time infusion
of $3 million, they were not supportive of borrowing the money at this
time. 

Staff
will bring a subsequent report back to the committee regarding the loan
term, interest rates and how repayments would affect the 2020 budget.

Conserving energy 

Steven
Thornton of Highland Technical gave a presentation to committee members
regarding an energy conservation and demand management plan for the
county.
Fifty to 60 per cent of energy use in any building is dedicated to space heating.

 
“Your HVAC system is always your biggest energy use,” Thornton told councillors.
Therefore, he said, keeping building envelope in mind when constructing new facilities can help to reduce energy consumption. 

“You want to invest in the size of your buildings, first,” Thornton said. 

As
far the county’s overall greenhouse gas emissions, public works
director Craig Douglas said approximately 20 per cent of emissions come
from facilities, about two per cent from electricity use, and the
remainder from its vehicle fleets. 

“All our fleets are significant,” Douglas said. 

The county is in the process of creating a climate change plan.