On September 27th, 2016 residents of Haliburton County arrived at their popular farmer’s market to find a new and improved parking lot entranceway. This traffic calming pop-up included clearly marked space for pedestrians, decreased entrance and exit lane widths and some decorative planters. The idea was developed by the Active Neighbourhoods team and our local partner Communities in Action, to bring attention to this highly trafficked entrance off of Highland St (known also as County Rd. 21). Many residents have described this location as unsafe for pedestrians due to the lack of markings and the speed at which vehicles enter the parking lot. Traffic calming pop-ups like this one provide the opportunity to test out designs at a low cost, gain feedback from residents, and demonstrate how small changes to the design of streets and intersections can have large payoffs for encouraging increased active transportation.
Want to learn more: Listen to Sue Shikaze of Communities in Action speaking with The Haliburton Echo in the lead-up to this event.