A candidate for mayor of Windsor wants to fast track elements of the City of Windsor's Vision Zero Action Plan.
Ward 4 Councillor Chris Holt wants to implement all the recommendations from the Vision Zero Task Force into how streets are constructed and how the rules of the road are enforced.
Vision Zero describes the goal of zero road crash fatalities and serious injuries on Windsor streets. An action plan to achieve this goal is currently being developed that encourages changes in the way roads work and are designed to ensure all fatalities and life-altering injuries caused by auto collisions are eliminated.
Some of the elements Holt wants to fast track include increasing winter roadway maintenance, review yellow and all red intervals for traffic signals, implement fatal collision response teams, target speed requirements for new construction and roadway projects, and speed limit reductions.
Holt says the most immediate and simple start is to reduce speed limits across the city.
"This mayor has avoided that simple act and continues to stall any initiatives tied to Vision Zero," he says. "These initiatives cost very little and can be easily implemented simply by directing administration to make those changes, but this mayor has never seriously prioritized road safety."
Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens calls Holt's comments, that he continues to stall any traffic safety recommendations, "sheer nonsense."
"I think what Chris Holt is saying is that he would do it all at once and he's not thinking about the budget impact of that, and that's why he's too risky," he says.
Holt wants to see a 10-kilometer an hour residential speed limit reduction across the city, which is what the Vision Zero Task Force is recommending.
"It means nothing when it comes to inter-city travel. Lowering the speed limit, the default speed limit from 50 to 40 kilometers and hour drastically increases the chances you're going to survive a collision," he says.
But Dilkens says earlier in this term, Councillor Gary Kaschak brought forward a motion to reduce speed limits to 40 km/ on residential streets.
"That was problematic because it was going to cost $1-million and there was no framework to put that under, so we said let's do this under Vision Zero and let's wait for that process to happen," he says. "That process has been underway, we have a full committee that council approved and that work will be back before City Council by the end of the year."
Dilkens calls Holt's comments "political shenanigans" on projects they're already moving forward on.
"I think the takeaway here is that we've been doing this sensibly, we've been trying to do it methodically to make an impact. What Chris Holt is talking about is doing everything all at once, which would have a significant budget impact and cost taxpayers a lot of money," he adds.
A draft version of the Vision Zero Action Plan is expected to be finalized by the Winter of 2022, with the plan going to City Council shortly after for final approval.
Holt is running for mayor against Benjamin Danyluk, Ernie Lamont, Aaron Day and incumbent mayor, Drew Dilkens.
Municipal elections across Ontario are set for Oct. 24.
With files from Rob Hindi
Windsor mayoral candidate wants to fast track Vision Zero Action Plan - AM800 (iHeartRadio)
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