What’s Happening With Traffic in Milton
Published December 8, 2018 at 4:06 pm
Not too long ago inhalton.com reported on how the Town of Milton was working to impr
Not too long ago inhalton.com reported on how the Town of Milton was working to improve traffic flow.
In this article, inhalton.com explained that the town has started to use an innovative traffic management system.
This system is known as the Miovision TrafficLink System and uses specialized technology that helps engineers analyze traffic data in order to create more responsive and efficient traffic networks.
This system currently only targets the traffic flow at Thompson Road South, between Main Street East and Derry Road.
Despite the town reporting that this system has proven to be very effective, since the initial article was published inhalton.com has received several complaints from Milton residents about other traffic concerns in the area.
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Some of these concerns included poor design placement of traffic lights, right-hand turn lanes not being at major intersections, heavy morning traffic from Thompson and Main, as well as all the new traffic that is a result of people moving to Milton in addition to new condos and new developments being built.
Inhalton.com reached out to the Traffic Manager for the Town of Milton, Heide Schlegl, who provided some insight on some of these concerns.
“This system [the Miovision TrafficLink System] allows traffic engineering staff to monitor the traffic flow, volumes, and congestion along the network which assists in the development of signal timing plans,” Schlegl said in an email.
Schlegl went onto explain that there are quite a few traffic control signals that are very closely spaced along the Thompson Road corridor, making it a bit more challenging to coordinate. This, Schlegl added, is due to the number of side streets that intersect with Thompson Road.
“Time has to be allotted to allow the side street traffic to move through the intersection,” Schlegl said in an email.
“Traffic Engineering staff are very mindful of the spacing of traffic control signals being installed throughout the town.”
As a result of Milton’s growing population causing heavier traffic, corridors are reviewed periodically. Currently, staff is working on reviewing the Thompson Road South corridor using the collected data from the Miovision TrafficLink System.
So, what about the concern of the lack of right-hand turn lanes at major intersections?
“Right turn lanes are installed at intersections under construction when warranted,” Schlegl said in an email.
“At the intersection of Thompson Road South and Main Street, there is not adequate land to construct a northbound right turn lane.”
In regards to new developments being built in Milton, Schlegl noted that developers, before a new development is even approved, must provide a traffic impact study that gets approved by staff. The study is used to demonstrate how the increased traffic generated from the development would impact the existing road network.
“At times, developers would be responsible for road improvements if there is a negative impact on the road network as a result of the development,” Schlegl said in an email.
Do you think the Town of Milton is doing enough to improve traffic flow?
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