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Highway 69 – A Statistical Review of Road Safety

Author(s): Corbett

Slide Deck Presentation:

2022.05.12 Corbett Transport CARSP

Abstract:

Context:

  1. a needs assessment or evidence that the problem exists;Highway 69 is the main roadway connecting Sudbury, Ontario to the Greater Toronto Area. It contains a stretch of two-lane road that some consider to be dangerous in relation to the four-land portion of the road. As a northern rural roadway, it also attracts significant amounts of wildlife and stunt drivers. These and related issues are on the provincial radar and it is worth examining data to determine if there are specific risks that should be prioritized given general budget constraints.
  2. a generally-accepted theory that the program conceptually makes sense, (e.g. deterrence theory), and;The aim is to have a paper grounded in collision data on Highway 69 to determine whether there are any significant trends that can help guide provincial policy / planning and that may be applicable to similar highways. Depending on the strength of the data, this could include a theory of road ecology to improve safety while minimizing the environmental footprint.
  3. previous research evidence of effectiveness of similar type of program elsewhere?Highway 69 already contains important safety features including one of the provinces only wildlife bridge crossings. There are plans to install more crossings and related fencing to help limit the amount of wildlife on the road and several other initiative geared towards improving road safety.

    While the paper is not limited to wildlife collisions, Banff Provincial Park and the Province of Alberta have an impressive program for limiting collisions between vehicles and animals.

Objectives:

The primary objective is to determine, through the examination of road data, an understanding of why collisions take place on what some consider to be a more challenging stretch of highway. This can help inform decision making in relation to infrastructure spending and legislative drafting.

Target Group:

Northern Ontario / Transportation Professionals

Activity(ies):

The paper will include recent legislation including the Moving Ontarians More Safely Act, and the Highway Traffic Act, but the emphasis will be on data . The paper itself depends on the quality of data available - I'm finding Canada wide stats but I am hoping for more specific data.

Deliverables:

The research continues and the intention is to write a paper to help inform future decision making among transportation professionals.