Before the Oct 24, 2022 election I am revamping this website in order to open new Tabs —one for my CAMPAIGN PLATFORM for the upcoming Council 2022-2026 and —another for my MOTIONS/VOTING RECORD during my first term on Council  — (from Dec 2018 - Sept 2022).

As I need to make room for the new Tabs on the website navigation bar, I am archiving on Evernote the Columbus, Greenhill, Ormond and Raglan Tabs, where I posted more details on certain issues in addition to what I've posted on my BLOG

See Raglan Community Concerns Tab archived here: 
www.evernote.com/shard/s313/nl/203171623/c4f3cd22-c6d1-475e-a84e-482e47827189?title=Raglan%20Community%20Concerns%20Tab%20Archived  
The good news is that a number of the recent Raglan community concerns have been attended to the satisfaction of most residents...including the plan for the park, the parking issues related to the Viking Rugby Club on street parking, and the speeding issues on Raglan Rd. E. and W.

See Ormond Community Concerns Tab archived here:

See Greenhill Community Concerns Tab archived here:

See Columbus Community Concerns Tab archived here:



March 17, 2022 Update: Raglan Traffic Issues 
  1. Jill Coffey is first on the list to make a delegation at this Monday’s Oshawa Community Services Committee meeting.
Here is a copy  of the meeting agenda:
https://pub-oshawa.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=4aafee71-e179-4bc0-a59c-3e3d739a66c6&Agenda=Agenda&lang=Englishso
Notice her letter is also on the agenda with the “Recommendation that Correspondence CS-22-31 from Jill Coffey submitting a request for a Community Safety Zone and concerns regarding Speeding on Raglan Road East be referred to staff for a report.”

We all will be cheering for her! The virtual meeting starts Monday March 21st at 9:30 a.m.

After a presentation on the agenda before the delegations, which may take anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes, Jill likely will be speaking sometime just before or after 10:00 a.m. If you open the City meeting calendar page you will see where to open the ‘live webstreaming’.
NOTE: the other three delegations on the agenda are also about excessive speeding and enforcement, which can help get the message through that stronger measures need to be put in place. The third and fourth delegations are about an area which already has a Community Safety Zone and likely will be mentioning the need for Oshawa to have more speed cameras.
 
  1. Yesterday Durham Region Policie East Division PC Gord Dicresce held a preliminary meeting concerning Raglan Traffic issues. In attendance were
Five more from Durham Region Police Service:, including Central West Division Sgt Frech; East Division Inspector Finateri; and Region Sgt. Stacey Benson; Detective Constable Adam Sigmann,  and Staff Sergeant Dan Ladouceur
From the Region: Traffic Manager Steven Kemp,
From Oshawa: Ward 1 Councillors Neal and me; Mayor Carter; Community Services Commissioner Diskey; Manager Mullen; and Traffic Technologist Tyler Benson

PC Dicresce presented a power point and then there was a detailed open discussion, with many questions and answers. Clearly the push is on to have the Region make Raglan Rd. W. a Community Safety Zone and then see it added to the list for the Region’s ASE camera rotation. The meeting went over the allotted hour and there will be a summary provided by PC Gord Dicresce. He was unable to name the date for the proposed DRPS/RAGLAN COMMUNITY at this time, although he mentioned that residents had made him aware the Rugby Club had agreed to make their premises available for an in-person meeting. I am sure we will hear more from him soon.

Raglan Community Concerns

Residents of Raglan have joined together to find ways to improve road and pedestrian safety.

They have become  increasingly alarmed by the growing number of vehicles clocking wildly excessive speeds through their community.  The traffic volume and aggressive driving on Raglan Rd. East and West is making driveway access and egress to the many residents’ homes unsafe.

Simcoe St. N. also well-known for drivers reaching highway-high speeds resulting in accidents, has seen serious collisions on the rise, with 3 fatalities since 2019.

Durham Region Police Services, aware of the growing problem, early this spring will be hosting  a Town Hall meeting to address Raglan Community concerns.

In addition to the shared common goal of improving speed enforcement in Raglan, see
below some of the specific safety and traffic calming measures Raglan residents are requesting:

Simcoe St. North (a Region of Durham road)

​
  1. lower the speed from 80km to 60km on Simcoe St. N. from Coates Rd. south to where the speed limit transitions south of Howden Rd. to 50km at the Columbus Golf Course;
  2. improve the Simcoe St. N. entrance to Trillium Trails and Snow Ridge Crt. with a flashing amber overhead beacon light;
  3. ensure the Durham Region Transit Bus Stop at the Trillium Trails and Snow Ridge entrance is made safe - currently residents from Snow Ridge have to cross Simcoe St. where vehicles and trucks are travelling at speeds in access of 100km to stand and wait for the DRT bus; 
  4. install traffic lights at Simcoe St. N. and Howden Rd. an intersection with many near collisions and problematic sight lines;

Raglan Rd. East (an Oshawa local road)


  1. raise public awareness that 50km is the actual speed limit on this road, including  better sign placement and larger 50km signs;
  2. designate Raglan Rd East as a City of Oshawa no heavy trucks road, and the City install No Heavy Trucks signs;
  3. install 2 Radar Message Boards (RMBs) from east of the Whitefeather Country Store to east of Linton’s playground area;
  4. install temporary speed cushions in addition to DPRS patrols to improve compliance with the speed limit.

Raglan Rd. West (a Region of Durham road) 


  1. install permanent Region Radar Message Boards (RMBs) both directions;
  2. ensure the Durham Region designate this road a Community Safety Zone (CSZ)  (from Simcoe St to the City of Oshawa’s western boundary);
  3. see Raglan Rd. W. is added to the Regions list of CSZs where the Region installs the Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) cameras;
  4. DRSP patrols monitor speeds on Old Simcoe Street and its STOP signs for increased Traffic Act enforcement

Councillors McConkey, Neal & Raglan resident's March 1/22 meeting with Durham Region 

  1. although unable to declare any firm commitments at this time, Durham Region Transportation Department Senior Staff agreed they will be considering Raglan Rd. W. for a Community Safety Zone (CSZ) designation. If approved, it means the fines DRPS issue for speeding or other traffic violations will be doubled.
  2. if the Raglan Rd. West CSZ designation is approved, the Region then could install a speed camera under its Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) Camera program. Last year the Region commenced operations of its ASE program with 4 cameras placed on a 6 week rotation basis among the current 23 Community Safety Zones across the Region. The Region also received 4 permanent style ASE cameras late in 2021. When the weather permits, the Region will install these 4 permanent cameras in Community Safety Zone locations with the highest number of tickets issued to date. Also in 2022 the Region will have 4 more rotation ASE cameras to add to its current compliment of 4 speed cameras being rotated. In summary, in 2022 the Region’s ASE camera inventory will increase from 4 to 12 (8 rotating & 4 permanent).

    In 2017 the Province approved the program for ASE cameras in CSZs. It seems the plan was to review the effectiveness of ASE cameras around the 5 year mark of the program . Results indicate it has been very effective and a plan to change the criteria for CSZs and ASE cameras in the Region may follow.
  3.  also, there was a glimmer of hope concerning the 80km speed limit on Simcoe St. N. being reduced. Region staff agreed to review traffic data to see whether a lower speed can be put in place without unintended consequences. They also discussed the need to  manage expectations.

    In addition to the excessively  high speeds being clocked on Simcoe St. N. and the known danger of higher speeds leading to collision fatalities, there are two other reasons to reduce the speed limit on Simcoe St. N. from 80km:

  4. ASE cameras can be installed only on roads with speeds under 80km, and

  5. a partial bike lane was installed on a 50-50 cost share between the City of Oshawa and the Region of Durham (see pages below from Report DS-10-13)  between Raglan R. and  Howden Rd in 2009 and in 2010  the road segment along Simcoe Street North (0.2 km north of Raglan Road to 0.2 km south of the CPR overpass) which is part of the approved Regional Cycling Network.. It was the early start for a continuous bike lane from the built boundary at Winchester Rd to Port Perry. A bike lane adjacent to vehicles traveling 80km +++ is dangerous and unrealistic, so more the reason to see it reduced to 60km. 

  6. although Region Staff were not sounding too favourable on installing an overhead flashing amber beacon at Simcoe at the entrance to Trillium Trails and Snow Ridge Crt, the community is requesting to have one installed due to the danger here for vehicle left turns.

  7. Region staff also agreed they would participate in the DRPS/Raglan Community Town Hall.

  8. Councillors McConkey and Neal  are working to see Oshawa’s Traffic Operations Department Staff participate in the Town Hall too. 
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