A Windsor City Council candidate says if elected, he would bring some much-needed traffic control ideas to Ward 4.
Ward 4 candidate Matt Marchand unveiled the third plank of his election platform Tuesday, this one focusing on traffic as it pertained to calming measures and school-zone safety.
Marchand's seven-page plan, available on his campaign's Facebook page, provides 15 points for improving traffic safety in the area. After two Walkerville children were hit by vehicles early this summer, residents have called for action to deal with erratic driving. Marchand told WindsorNewsToday.ca that out of the 2,000 doors he's knocked on so far, traffic safety is one of the neighbourhood's biggest issues.
"I was standing [Tuesday] morning on the corner of Gladstone and Richmond," said Marchand. "Somebody was stopped at the stop sign, and he asked me, 'Please, Matt, get a stop sign here'. This is the kind of community engagement that the people of Ward 4 need."
Marchand's campaign recommends a series of traffic-calming techniques, which include speed humps, flexible or temporary bollards, four-way stop signs for high-traffic intersections such as Gladstone and Richmond, greenery, and encouraging residents to use active transportation.
Traffic in school zones has also been a concern raised by residents, Marchand said.
"There was some concern pre-pandemic about the number of crossing guards that we have," said Marchand. "We're asking for a 30-day review to ensure we have enough crossing guards to keep our kids safe. If that's not enough, then we need to get those crossing guards staffed up and at those intersections to keep kids safe."
Marchand said if he's elected, he will work to bring a traffic control pilot project to Windsor. Toronto, for example, and some places in Europe use leading pedestrian intervals (LPIs), which provide pedestrians with a green-light head start seconds ahead of the green light given to vehicles, to increase pedestrian visibility.
Eight candidates are campaigning for the Ward 4 seat, which is open due to incumbent Chris Holt's mayoral campaign. The other candidates are Giovanni Abati, Edy Haddad, Gregory Heil, Mark McKenzie, Jake Rondot, Kristen Siapas, and Patrick Sutherland.
The municipal election is on Monday, October 24.