Three new speed humps now sit on Conover Street in Nepean, after some residents complained about speeding vehicles. But not everyone is happy about the effort to calm traffic.
Some in the Craig Henry neighbourhood say the humps are inconvenient, while others say they are frustrated with the way the city held consultations about the plan.
In 2023, a City of Ottawa survey was sent to residents of Knoxdale-Merivale Ward about controlling speeding on the tree-lined residential street, where the limit is 40 km/hour. The online survey received 231 responses — 63 per cent supported the project and 30 per cent were against. Seven per cent were neutral.
Residents against speed humps say they hope their concerns will be considered in later projects, and that surveys will be more widely distributed, with more accessible options.
Vera Gajdicar worries that the online survey does not represent the neighbourhood’s elderly population. “I joined the petition with my daughter, but it didn’t do any good, [the speed humps] went up anyway,” she said. “Because the area is mostly seniors, they’re not on the computer, they’re not following this stuff.”
Some of the residents opposing speed humps suggested other options such as speed tracking cameras. “That’ll slow you down much quicker. The camera’s a better option, I think,” said Anthony Tripi, a long-time resident of Craig Henry.
Speed humps, he said, are “very inconvenient, I have to be careful so that it doesn’t damage my car. I’ve had problems in the past where, because I have a small car, it messed up my axles.”
City officials say speed humps are an effective way to calm traffic. “People are already relaying to me that they are seeing a change in the usage of speed on the street. So, I know, and I believe, that speed humps are effective,” said Sean Devine, the councillor for Knoxdale-Merivale Ward.
The street calming will be completed next spring with the addition of a raised crosswalk. The total cost is $126,000.
“It’s a waste of money. There’s so much we could do that’s good for our community and helps the community. These things are expensive,” said Gajdicar.
Traffic calming measures — such as speed humps, speed cameras, flex boards and similar measures — have been introduced more and more across the city in recent years.
Devine attributes the increase in traffic calming to increased car usage. “If we just look at the last few years … in the city of Ottawa, people are riding our transit less. So, there are more cars on the road. When there are more cars on the road, you are more likely to observe speeding,” he said.
In a recent newsletter, Devine wrote that Knoxdale-Merivale can expect more traffic calming on Knoxdale Road.
