<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><div style="font-size: 12px; "></div><div style="font-size: 12px; "><span style="font-size: 12px; "><div style="font-size: medium; "></div><div style="font-size: medium; "><b></b></div></span></div></div><div><br></div><div style="font-size: 16px; ">Here what I said at that earlier Regional delegation:</div><div style="font-size: 16px; ">"<b>A crossover bridge -- with "student" initiated stop lights for the Elgin crossing -- is likely the best way to maximize pedestian/cyclist/wheelchair safety at a reasonable cost and could be easily accomodated by the current traffic circle design as suggested by the included first iteration of a possible crossover bridge route system. </b>"</div><div style="font-size: 16px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 16px; "><div style="font-size: 16px; ">The likely validity of this approach was strengthened by the consultant who designed this roundabout when he said -- after studying my sketch -- that a pedestrian crossover bridge was feasible.</div><div style="font-size: 16px; "><br></div></div><div style="font-size: 16px; ">Today's staff report has this to say about pedestrian crossover bridge:</div><div style="font-size: 16px; ">"A pedestrian bridge <b>could be constructed</b> for a roundabout or traffic signal option. Staff have not done a design of a potential bridge structure and there are many different options that could be considered. A very preliminary cost could be $1.5 million to $3 million or more. "</div><div style="font-size: 16px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 16px; ">These pedestrian crossover bridge costs would likely be considerably less than these staff report costs for reverting to a signaled intersection:</div><div style="font-size: 16px; "> Additional cost for EA Addendum and detail design </div><div style="font-size: 16px; "> Increase in construction cost (3 years construction escalation and contract overlaps) </div><div style="font-size: 16px; "> Increase in property cost (market increase) Additional road maintenance cost </div><div style="font-size: 16px; "> Total increased cost estimated at $2 million to $3.5 million </div><div style="font-size: 16px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 16px; ">The option of maintaining the roundabouts at Franklin Boulevard at Elgin Street/Saginaw Parkway and Franklin at Can Amera Parkway -- made viable by a well-designed pedestrian crossover bridge system at Saginaw/Elgin -- would enable the main goal of optimizing Franklin Blvd. throughput at least cost, to not be frustrated.</div><div style="font-size: 16px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 16px; ">Sean Strickland might consider modifying his resolution accordingly such as suggested here:</div><div style="font-size: 16px; "><br></div><div><br></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica; font-size: 17px; font-family: Arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; "><b>NOTICE OF MOTION </b></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; font-family: Arial; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; "> </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; ">I, Sean Strickland, intend to introduce the following motion at the August 22, </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; ">2013 meeting of Regional Council. </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; min-height: 12px; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; "> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; ">"WHEREAS Regional Council has approved the design and construction of 11 roundabouts along Franklin Blvd. in Cambridge and; </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; min-height: 12px; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; "> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; ">WHEREAS these 11 roundabouts include a roundabout at the corner of Saginaw Parkway and Franklin Blvd. which is directly in front of St. Benedict High School and; </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; min-height: 12px; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; "> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; ">WHEREAS a similar roundabout located in front of St. Mary's High School in </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; ">Kitchener has proven to be difficult for<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px; "> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; ">motor vehicle traffic and</span> </span>pedestrians (and others) to use safely and; </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; min-height: 12px; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; "> </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; ">WHEREAS the St. Mary's roundabout has required several measures to improve its functionality and safety including, reduced speed limit signs, additional large portable electronic signs, the closure of a traffic lane, and the use of school crossing guards; </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; ">WHEREAS initial indications are that these measures sufficiently improved functionally and motor vehicle safety, while pedestrians and others continue to remain in harms way as long as they are forced to cross the very busy Homer Watson Blvd., especially when the crossing guards are no longer used;</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; ">WHEREAS a pedestrian bridge is a feasible and reasonably costing way to optimize the safety of pedestrians and others provided that it is designed to maximize use (convenient, gently-sloped ramp, elimination of any on-road pedestrian crossings on Franklin Blvd. at the Saginaw/Elgin and Can/Am intersections , and fencing between, around and beyond both intersections);</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; min-height: 12px; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; "> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; ">THEREFORE BE IT resolved that in light of the insufficiently addressed safety concerns suffered by pedestrians (students, visually impaired, etc.), cyclists, and wheel chair users at the roundabout in front of St. Mary's High School (Kitchener), and considering the current safety problems for pedestrians at the Saginaw/Elgin intersection, that Regional Council request of staff to explore the cost and other specifics of a pedestrian bridge for both a signaled and roundabout intersection at Saginaw/Elgin; and further the project continue in a staged manner reporting back at the end of year 1 for a review -- or sooner as necessary.</div><div style="font-size: 11px; "><br></div></div></div><div><br></div><div>*************************************************************************************************************</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><div>Safety concerns have to be bumpted up to a much higher level what with all the new risks our new technologies are creating. </div><div><br></div></div><div style="font-size: 17px; ">So I have a further suggestion so as to better use a broader range of Regional staff resources in ensuring that adequate safety considerations are part of the design of all major technological projects -- including roundabouts. </div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 17px; ">Safety is a type of health concern involving injury prevention. This means that the Medical Officer of Health has a role to play -- including early stage involvement -- in helping to ensure that proper weight is given to safety through at least commenting on project design weaknesses that could make a project unsafe in various ways. </div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 17px; ">Her current role of helping the community adapt to an implemented problematic project (like roundabouts) can sometimes be a very frustrating task if the project realization is wrought with potentially injurious design features -- or is suffering from the lack of ones needed for adequate safety levels. </div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><div>This implies that the MOH and appropriate Health Department staff should be required by new Regional policies to collaborate as peers in all stages of the design of expensive technological projects</div></div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 17px; ">Of course, this may require the hiring of appropriately trained and experienced staff members. </div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 17px; ">Importantly, these new staff should have a very positive attitude towards the idea of using leading-edge sustainably innovative technologies -- even of they are challenging to understand<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px; "> -- </span>otherwise their negativity could create irrational safety concerns . </div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 17px; ">Possibly a joint appointment with the UofW at even a PhD level might be workable. </div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 17px; ">The presence of these leading-edge experts should help advance the insights of most Regional officials on project safety and help ensure minimum accidents -- thus minimizing negative reprecutions from the community,courts and insurers.</div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 17px; ">More, the relatively small cost of investing in making a project (or existing situation) decidedly safer -- using innovative technological precedents, on-staff leading edge safety experts, ... -- would likely be paid for many times over by avoiding likely repeated accident injury lawsuits.<b> </b></div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><b><br></b></div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><b>And what about the lives saved from permanent injury or death?</b></div></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><div style="font-weight: normal; "><div style="font-size: 16px; "><b><u>In context presentation concerning the Franklin Blvd. traffic circle project with particular emphasis on the need for both a Saginaw/Elgin roundabout -- and a related crossover bridge for safety reasons</u></b></div><div><br></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; ">Successful highly innovative -- even World leading -- projects are a hallmark of the Waterloo Region Innovative Ecosystem. It is expected that all large projects especially will meet, even exceed this high bar of innovative accomplishment.</span><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">So when the Regional Government of Waterloo commissions the building of expensive innovative projects -- such as a biosolids treatment plant(s) or an LRT system or road roundabouts -- no effort must be spared so as to ensure that the design of all of these plans not only meets and exceeds public expectations but also is generally considered a sustainably innovative World exemplar.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">For these three expensive innovative projects, this means at least that we must optimally adapt the best existing designs of these technologies to our specific Regional situation. Then we could add other complementary innovative technologies to the design of the plan </div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">-- at least to the degree they are cost-effective and sustainable -- so as to enhance the project towards the expected innovative excellence..</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">In the Franklin Blvd. roundabout project, the goal is to maximize throughput at a much lower cost than building and maintaining two additional lanes. Of course taxes would saved. Travel time and fuel would be decreased -- and the road width conserved would remain green. The more traffic circles removed, the lower the thoughput and their advantages.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">The public is concerned about road safety especially when trucks will have to use more than one lane and cars will have to adjust to them. Most car users will probably learn to navigate this potential situation of many serial roundabouts. The car drivers most at risk would be neophytes -- an avalanche when it opens. These are reasons for staging.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Yes, traffic circles minimize accident severity for powered vehicles. But for pedestrians, cyclists, and wheelchair users. who have to cross the Region's busiest traffic circle road, their safety is under grave risk.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Fortunately, the number of pedestrians, etc. who wish to cross Franklin Blvd. along most of its length is minimal. But what about the few wheelchair users, elderly, and others who might have difficulty using conventional "pedestrian" crossings at a roundabout ? To alleviate this safety problem, stoplight "protected" crossings coulf be strategically placed. Few users would mean few throughput delays.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Regional consultants are recommending that such a stoplight "protected" crossing be placed between the Saginaw/Elgin and CanAM traffic circles. But here the presence of nearby malls on both sides of Franklin Blvd. and of St. Benedicts would likely cause relatively frequent throughput delays.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Both Cambridge Councillor Frank Monteiro -- who was a delegation to Planning and Works Committee last week -- and myself prefer traffic circles along Franklin Blvd. primarily for superior throughput related reasons. And we also share a concern for the safety of those --especially St. Benedict's students -- crossing Franklin Blvd. at the Saginaw/Elgin intersection that would have a traffic circle.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">But we don't want the traffic circle removed -- along with the one at CanAm -- decreasing throughput unnecessarily. We visualize a crossover bridge as a win-win solution to this safety and throughput dilemma. </div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">To relate to a previous thought, this is an example of "adding other complementary innovative technologies to the design of the plan ... so as to enhance the project".</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Now, let's compare Frank's "four-legged spider" approach to what I suggested in my fairly recent delegation presentation.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Features of Robert's suggested crossover concrete bridge (like Calgary's ...) :</div><ul class="MailOutline" style="font-size: 14px; "><li>is a minimalist approach which targets the most efficient crossing location </li><li>designed to be a distance across about the same as that of the Region's proposed adjacent on-road crossing</li><li>can be used from Elgin St. to the school door without stairs because of the dominant use of gentle-sloped ramps</li><li>electrical wires and phone cables along Franklin on Elgin side can be avoided at a safe distance with </li><li>would be no on-road crossing of Franklin</li><li>planned crossing of Elgin -- and probably Saginaw -- would be stoplight "protected" ("pedestrian" activated) causing virtually no throughput delays on Franklin</li><li>would be very aesthetically pleasing especially with Councillor Jean Haalboom's help</li><li>consulting roundabout designer says my approach suggests that a crossover is feasible -- could he say more in his position?</li><li>Region's World class bridge designer was asked by project staff to get involved but was assigned another project to work on</li><li>cost would be comparitively low to build and maintain -- a potential good exemplar for others</li></ul><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Features of Frank's suggested crossover metal bridge;</div><ul class="MailOutline" style="font-size: 14px; "><li>would have a shared centre part over the traffic circle itself </li><li>2 road crossover sections at each end of the bridge would connect to the 4 street corners</li><li>stairs &/or ramps would connect each section to the sidewalk level</li><li>close proximity of electrical wires and phone cables could be very expensive to avoid</li><li>metal bridge could be noisy to cross, more slippery in all seasons and dangerous in a lightening storm</li><li>possibly no design precedents to better ensure that it would work well</li><li>no type of evaluation by a consultant familiar with the situation</li><li><div>cost would be quite high to build and maintain</div><div><br></div></li></ul></div><div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; ">Features in Common:</div><ul class="MailOutline" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; "><li>easier to build bridge crossover with the traffic circle -- especially with Robert's approach -- than with regular traffic lights because Franklin is somewhat shifted to east at the intersection so that it is away from the electrical wires and phone cables at the intersection, etc.</li><li>both enable a virtually risk-free crossong of Franklin Blvd. versus the current status quo of the Region's 4th most dangerous intersection crossing for "pedestrians"</li><li>like with many other over or under road crossings of traffic circles around the World, appropriate fencing would encourage use of the bridge crossover</li></ul><div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; "><br></div></b><div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><div>Safety concerns have to be bumpted up to a much higher level what with all the new risks our new technologies are creating. </div><div><br></div></div><div style="font-size: 17px; ">So I have a further suggestion so as to better use a broader range of Regional staff resources in ensuring that adequate safety considerations are part of the design of all major technological projects -- including roundabouts. </div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 17px; ">Safety is a type of health concern involving injury prevention. This means that the Medical Officer of Health has a role to play -- including early stage involvement -- in helping to ensure that proper weight is given to safety through at least commenting on project design weaknesses that could make a project unsafe in various ways. </div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 17px; ">Her current role of helping the community adapt to an implemented problematic project (like roundabouts) can sometimes be a very frustrating task if the project realization is wrought with potentially injurious design features -- or is suffering from the lack of ones needed for adequate safety levels. </div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><div>This implies that the MOH and appropriate Health Department staff should be required by new Regional policies to collaborate as peers in all stages of the design of expensive technological projects</div></div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 17px; ">Of course, this may require the hiring of appropriately trained and experienced staff members. </div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 17px; ">Importantly, these new staff should have a very positive attitude towards the idea of using leading-edge sustainably innovative technologies -- even of they are challenging to understand<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px; "> -- </span>otherwise their negativity could create irrational safety concerns . </div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 17px; ">Possibly a joint appointment with the UofW at even a PhD level might be workable. </div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 17px; ">The presence of these leading-edge experts should help advance the insights of most Regional officials on project safety and help ensure minimum accidents -- thus minimizing negative reprecutions from the community,courts and insurers.</div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 17px; ">More, the relatively small cost of investing in making a project (or existing situation) decidedly safer -- using innovative technological precedents, on-staff leading edge safety experts, ... -- would likely be paid for many times over by avoiding likely repeated accident injury lawsuits.<b> </b></div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><b><br></b></div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><b>And what about the lives saved from permanent injury or death?</b></div></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><br></b></div><b><div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 17px; ">Just to put myself in context, here is some relevant background: </div><div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 17px; ">Since 1962 I have used innovative ideas to improve the effectiveness of my work vocationally and avocationally. </div><div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 17px; "><br></div></b></div><div style="font-size: 15px; "><b><div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 17px; ">Especially my work as a business systems analyst -- and my study of industrial engineering, operations research and general systems theory --- all assist me in trying to help municipal projects (and occasionally beyond) become more sustainably innovative. </div><div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 17px; ">My main objective in retirement is to play a small part in ensuring that our great human species continues to sustain and advance. (David Suzuki says that we may have less than four years before run-away environmental collapse -- so let's make the changes needed now!)</div></b></div><div style="font-size: 17px; "><br></div><div><br></div></body></html>