6 Friday, November 6, 2020 brooklintowncrier.com North Ward Councillor - By Steve Lee How Traffic Issues Are Addressed Since I first announced the speed bumps that we recently had installed on Robert Attersley Dr., many residents have asked about traffic calming measures on other streets as well as what the process is to obtain them. There are a few ways this can happen. The most typical is for councillors to work with Town staff to identify problem areas and what the best solutions could be. We obtain feedback from residents and review their concerns. I do thank those who have contacted me so far. They need to know I have forwarded these to the Whitby traffic staff. In general, once we receive a request, traffic staff follow this process: Initiate review of the residents or council members concerns This is where we discuss with staff and traffic engineers to let them know what we have been hearing from residents or seeing ourselves. Staff then prioritize requests and concerns. Initial screening (i.e. review available traffic data, site visit, etc.) Staff will look at any data they have, perhaps visit the site to see for themselves, and come up with initial thoughts. Preliminary assessment and problem identification (i.e. data collection and analysis) This step is very important. We must have data to back up the concerns and prove there is an issue. We need to look at everything, including how it may affect other residents and streets, what the problem is, and how bad it is. We need hard facts for this. We are often asked about speeding issues. But when we look at the actual average speeds, we find it to be much lower than the complaints and sometimes not high enough to warrant a change to the road. Staff work to Identify an appropriate solution or multiple solutions that would be appropriate. Depending on the solution and cost, this will be brought to council or added to an upcoming budget to be decided by council. While some of the inquiries are straightforward and can be dealt with immediately, many are more complex and/or take significant effort and time to resolve or address the concern. In addition, there are often inquiries that have more complex solutions that involve longer term infrastructure modifications and/or other agencies being involved. In some instances, there is no definitive problem found that can be addressed through engineering. Often issues relate to social behaviour, expectations, and perceptions. Warranted solutions? We also need to make sure that a solution is warranted, based on the data collected. For instance, stop signs and traffic signals are not intended to be speed control or traffic calming devices. Unwarranted installations have been proven to result in decreased safety as a result of a false sense of security and/ or shifting a problem to another location. As well, unwarranted traffic control is not supported by our bylaw services nor police services, and often end up causing additional issues. Solutions also often come with an added cost to the budget. An increase to the budget can mean an increase to your taxes. The only other way to not increase costs and taxes is to cut somewhere else, or look to include the item in a future year's budget. Council needs to be careful that we have the correct information and are prioritizing locations and solutions to best serve all residents. In addition to contacting and working with me on safety concerns, residents also have the option to fill out The Traffic Operational Review form that is available on the Town's website. This form includes the resident's information as well as details of the concern. The form also allows us to forward the concern and resident's contact information to others as needed. For example, it may be that the concern is something that the Region of Durham or Durham Regional Police Service should be addressing. https://www.whitby.ca/en/resources/RequestforReviewFormJanuary2014.pdf There are also some of the most Frequently Asked Questions that we often get from residents. https://www.whitby.ca/en/residents/roadsandtransportationfaqs.asp As always, I am willing to hear your concerns and determine if we can address them. Email: lees@whitby.ca Braces and Books Our Brooklin Kids By Leanne Brown At a regular dental cleaning last month, our dentist recommended that my daughter could benefit from orthodontics. I Immediately thought of the scary headgear my classmate had worn in grade eight. The contraption was the source of much teasing and tears. I knew it was uncomfortable and I often thanked my lucky stars I didn't have to wear one. Fortunately, braces have come a long way. They're smaller and can even be clear, making them virtually invisible. Still, despite the improvements, getting them can be a big deal for kids even though it's like a rite of passage for many. In fact, according to the Canadian Association of Orthodontists, four million people in Canada and the United States are in the care of an one. Fears Some kids dread them, fearing how they'll look. They may also worry that they'll hurt or that they may have to give up their favourite foods like gum and popcorn. But without treatment, orthodontic problems can lead to tooth decay, gum disease and digestive difficulties. A misaligned bite can impair speech, contribute to tooth loss, and result in other dental injuries. My daughter is somewhat excited about getting braces. Several of her friends already have them so she knows what to expect. Our orthodontist let her know that if she does what she's supposed to and takes care of them, then she could complete her treatment by grade 8 graduation. Still, she's a bit nervous. In anticipation of her getting braces, we're having one last binge on forbidden foods. I decided the application could wait until after Halloween so she could enjoy her fill of chewy candy before they go on. I also picked up a few books for her about braces and dealing with them. Here are some good ones: Smile, by Raina Telglemeier, is an autobiographical graphic novel about the author's life from grade six to high school, including her challenges with braces. How to Rock Braces and Glasses by Meg Haston is a novel about a popular girl in middle school who gets braces and glasses and deals with friendship challenges. Surviving Braces: A guide of tips, recipes and more to help you get through orthodontic treatment, by Jennifer Webb and Tracy Gilbert, has great information to help you manage braces more comfortably. The Braces Journal by Dan Price lets kids record their experience with braces in a cool illustrated book, from getting them on to when they finally come off. Wearing braces is a part of growing up and so my daughter is taking it all in stride. Her one disappointment is that we won't be getting school pictures this year due to Covid. She was hoping to have them for the pictures. How things have changed! In my childhood, those school photos would have been taken with my mouth firmly shut.