TEESWATER – Sixty-five signs failed reflectivity testing in South Bruce during recent testing conducted by expert consultants, according to Manager of Operations Stu Moffat.
“Under the minimum maintenance standards the municipality is required to complete reflectivity inspections on all traffic signs every 12 months,” Moffat reported to council. “The sign reflectivity inspection was completed in November.”
Moffat reported that, of 1,167 signs, 65 failed, or approximately 5.5 per cent of the municipality’s total sign catalogue. Of the failing signs, 23 are priority signs, five regulatory and 37 warning.
“Staff are in the process of obtaining quotes from suppliers to replace the 65 signs,” Moffat reported. “This number is down 19 signs from last year’s reflectivity inspection. Once the signs are received, staff will install and update the data in our internal systems.”
Coun. Mark Ireland pointed out that, recently, the municipality had fatalities at three intersections and wondered if more couldn’t be done to alert drivers to the intersections, asking about flashing lights specifically.
“We can’t put a cost on human life,” he said. “We have busy intersections that are not flagged, signed or lighted.”
Moffat said that stop signs, like the rest of the signs in the review, have minimum sheen requirements through the reflectivity tests. He said he didn’t know what costing would be, but, given the remoteness of some of the sites, only solar-powered options may be considered.
“I don’t know the costs,” he said. “The initial cost would be what it is, but we have to consider future maintenance.”
He said batteries could be expensive and he wasn’t sure how effective lights would be based on locations and the sun.
Ireland noted the intersections in question were with Bruce County roads, which Moffat confirmed meant the signage was the responsibility of the county, not the municipality.
Mayor Goetz said he had already brought several intersections to the attention of the county to be added for testing.
Council received Moffat’s report for information.
