Proposed speed management and road safety improvements in Woodstock

With strong population growth and increased traffic across our communities, Oxford County has been undertaking speed management, traffic calming, and road safety investigations over the past four years to improve safety on County roads.

As a result of reviews in Woodstock, Oxford County is recommending the following traffic calming measures.

Oxford Road 15 / Parkinson Road

Beard’s Lane to Oxford Road 4

• Install new electronic feedback signs for westbound traffic near the intersection of Oxford Road 4 where proposed 60 km/h zone begins and for eastbound traffic just east of Beard’s Lane.
• Adjust the current 70 km/h zone between Beard’s Lane and Oxford Road 4 to a 60 km/h zone.

See the map

Oxford Road 35 / Devonshire Avenue

Vansittart Avenue to Huron Street

• Implement a Community Safety Zone (CSZ) from Vansittart Avenue to Huron Street.
• Install additional 50 km/h signs in support of the CSZ.
• Install controlled pedestrian crossing (PXO) at Victoria Street school crossing (planned for 2025).

See the map

Oxford Road 17

14^th Line to Oxford Road 4

• Install new electronic feedback signs for westbound traffic between Oxford Road 4 and 15th Line and for eastbound traffic between 14th Line and 15th Line.
• Relocate the existing electronic speed feedback sign for westbound traffic currently just west of 14th Line relocated further west to mid-block point between 14^th Line and 13th Line.
• Adjust the current 80km/h zone between 14th Line and Oxford Road 4 to a 60 km/h zone.

See the maps

• Map 1
• Map 2

About the recommendations

Road safety reviews have considered local community perceptions of road safety, the need for stop signs, warning signs and/or crosswalks, traffic speed and volume, posted speed, speed zone limits, collision data and other factors that impact how traffic moves through a community.

Speeding, which poses a serious risk to public safety and property, is influenced by factors other than posted speed limits. Research has shown that speed is largely influenced by the surrounding driving environment and that most drivers travel at a speed they consider comfortable. For this reason, the County’s recommendations focus on proven measures to reduce speed by adjusting speed zone boundaries and providing visual cues, like:

• Electronic speed feedback signs
• Traffic-calming measures (centre delineators, pavement markings)
• Community entrance features (landscaping, street lights, gateway signs)

Presentation to Oxford County Council

The proposed road safety changes are before Oxford County Council next month for review and consideration. Members of the community are invited to learn more and/or to present comments at Oxford County Council as a delegate:

Wednesday, November 22, 2023
Council meeting starts at 9:30 a.m.
Watch live online at www.oxfordcounty.ca/livestream

If you would like to present comments to County Council, you must make a request to the County Clerk at clerksoffice@oxfordcounty.ca by Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at 4:30 p.m. You can fill out a delegation request form online at https://forms.oxfordcounty.ca/Council/Council-Delegation-Request-Form. 

To read the full Council report that will be considered at the November 22 County Council meeting, please check www.oxfordcounty.ca/council on Friday, November 17 when the council agenda and reports are published on the Oxford County website. 

Contact for information

Frank Gross, C.Tech.
Manager, Transportation and Waste Management
Oxford County
fgross@oxfordcounty.ca
519-539-9800, ext. 3120 

Download the handout version of this notice

For updates visit www.speakup.oxfordcounty.ca/road-safety-2023