The County of Essex is looking to address safety concerns along County Rd 22. in Lakeshore.
A traffic study is set to get underway from Puce to Belle River, sparked by a request from the Town of Lakeshore for a traffic light at Emery Dr.
Lakeshore Deputy Mayor Al Fazio says a boom in development has led to a major increase in traffic volume along the corridor.
"It's building up constantly. We've got a lot of subdivisions in the area. We have schools in the area. Businesses in the area. So what we're looking for, what I'd like to see, is the installation of a stop signal so that way it's safer for the kids crossing the road and it's safer for the vehicles in that area," says Fazio.
Lakeshore Deputy Mayor Al Fazio attends the 2017 budget meeting for the county on February 1, 2017. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
The study is expected to take six months, and while Fazio would like the light put in now, he recognizes there's a process to follow.
"I was glad to hear that it was six months to complete the report. Sometimes it takes a few years," says Fazio."But in the meantime, we just tell the people in that area to have patience, let people cross the road and be careful because I don't want any kids hurt crossing the road. I don't want anybody getting in a car accident in that area. It's a very busy area."
County officials have agreed to expedite the study which will be cost-shared between Lakeshore and the county.
The final cost of the study will be factored into the 2019 budgets.