Waterloo is reviewing its most collision-prone areas to improve safety

The City of Waterloo is trying to make roads safer by producing a report on some of the locations that have had the most accidents over the past five years.

In February, the city council approved plans to produce an annual report to examine traffic calming policies and road safety remedies and find ways to update and improve road safety in the city.

According to the report, a total of 2,837 accidents occurred on city roads in the last five years. 66 of them involved hitting pedestrians, including one fatal accident in 2019 and 53 accidents with cyclists.

Over the five years covered by the study, the number of accidents peaked in 2019, with a total of 725 accidents recorded. However, accidents fell during the pandemic as more drivers worked from home and people traveled less overall. A total of 517 accidents were recorded in 2022, down from 424 last year.

Staff used collision records to gather key locations requiring sedation. The report attempts to identify the factors contributing to the failure and identify the countermeasures that were found to be most effective in each scenario.

The report will be presented to the Council at meeting on Monday.

Staff recommend that authorities receive the report and update traffic and parking regulations to reflect the recommended changes.

Top 10 collision locations

1. Columbia Street West at Phillip Street – signals for four-legged people
2. Albert Street at Columbia Street West – traffic lights for four-legged people
3. Albert Street at Hickory Street – Two-way traffic stop control
4. Columbia Street at Hagey Boulevard – signals for four-legged people
5. Columbia Street West at Hazel Street – signals for four-legged people
6. Phillip Street between University Avenue West and Columbia Street West – multi-lane road
7. Allen Street West at Park Street – Stop Control All Route (2023)
8. Lexington Road at Davenport Road – four-legged vehicle signals
9. Albert Street between University Avenue West and Hickory Street – two-lane road
10. Regina Street at Noecker Street – Two-way traffic stop control

The 10 most popular locations of collisions with pedestrians

1. Regina Street at Lodge Street – Two-way stop control
2. Columbia Street at Hazel Street – 4 – Signaling on legs
3. Columbia Street at Phillip Street – signals for four-legged people
4. Columbia Street at Hagey Boulevard – signals for four-legged people
5. Phillip Street between University Avenue West and Columbia Street West – two-lane road
6. Parkside Drive at Cedarbrae Avenue – 4 Leg Stop Control
7. Albert Street at Central Street – Two-way stop control
8. Lexington Road at Davenport Road – Three Leg Signal
9. University Avenue East at Lexington Road – three-legged signal
10. Bearinger Road at Parkside Drive – Four Leg Signal

The 10 most popular places where cyclists collide

1. Phillip Street between University Avenue West and Columbia Street – 2-lane road
2. Allen Street West at Park Street – Stop checks throughout
3. Albert Street to Hazel Street – traffic lights for four-legged people
4. Bathurst Drive at McMurray Road – four-legged vehicle signals
5. Columbia Street at Hazel Street – traffic lights for four-legged people
6. Albert Street between Columbia Street West and Cardill Crescent – a two-lane road with on-street cycle lanes
7. Columbia Street West at Phillip Street – 4-legged signal
8. Laurelwood Drive at Old Oak Place – Two-Way Stop Control
9. Keats Way at Amos Avenue – two-way stop control
10. Columbia Street West at Beechlawn Drive – two-way traffic stop control

Staff provided recommendations for each location. In the case of Columbia Street at Phillip Street, workers say the most common types of accidents are swerving and rear-end collisions. It is recommended that the city ask the Region of Waterloo to consider fully protected turn signal phasing, which would require the installation of center islands, and the region review signal coordination to reduce congestion.

On Regina Street at Lodge Street, the most common type of accident involves pedestrians being hit in the dark. Staff suggest improving visibility, limiting parking near the intersection along Lodge St. and checking street and pedestrian lighting.

Phillip Street between University Avenue West and Columbia Street West was identified as the most common location for collisions involving cyclists due to distraction when turning, cyclists on the wrong side of the road and cyclists losing control. Staff recommend additional signage, installing highly visible markings on sidewalks, introducing a speed limit of 40 km/h and checking the lighting in the area.

Reducing speed

Last year, the city also analyzed speeds on local roads and recommended the introduction of calming measures on three road sections. The most popular location is Bluevale Street North between Harvard Road and Mayfield Avenue, where the average driver drives 13 km/h above the speed limit of 40 km/h. The report found that 85 percent of drivers travel at or below 56 km/h in this area.

1. Bluevale Street North between Harvard Road and Mayfield Avenue
2. Lourdes Street between Westmount Road and Alexandra Avenue
3. Keats Way between Beechwood Drive and Woodbend Crescent

City of Waterloo streets that intersect with those in the Region of Waterloo are not included in the report because they fall within the region’s remit and are included in the relevant road safety program.

According to staff, some of the improvements are already underway and will be completed within the year. Others require changes to the regulations first. Staff also sent information to the Region of Waterloo regarding roads intersecting identified disaster sites.