Traffic Engineering

Heavy vehicles permits

• Transport and trucking companies and organizations usually apply for these permits.

• The applicant is responsible to ensure that permits are current. There is no formal notification of upcoming permit expiry.

Annual oversize permit

The Annual Oversize Permit is applicable for heavy trucks with the following dimensions:

• Width: 2.60 m – 3.99 m

• Height: 4.15 m – 4.25 m

• Length (Single Vehicle): 12.5 m – 15.50 m

• Length (Combination): 23.00 m – 36.70 m

This permit issued annually allows trucking companies to travel on all Town’s highways except the Class B Roads, which require the Load Exemption Permit Application and/or roads with the posted No Heavy Truck prohibition signs.

Single trip oversize/overweight permit

The Single Trip Oversize/Overweight Permit is applicable for heavy trucks over the following dimensions:

• Width: 2.60 m

• Height: 4.15 m

• Weight: 63,000 kg

• Length (Single Vehicle): 12.50 m

• Length (Combination): 23.00 m

This permit requires a carrier to submit the specific route, trip date, and a sketch of the transport vehicle depicting wheel arrangement, axle, wheel loading, and structure positioning. Also required is a complete list of all vehicles used for escorting the oversize vehicle.

This permit issued for single trips will not apply to the Class B Roads with posted 5 tonnes per axle restrictions and/or the posted No Heavy Truck prohibition signs.

Heavy truck issues

To ensure public safety the Town of Halton Hills, in collaboration with Halton Regional Police Services, monitors and undertakes periodic truck safety enforcement blitzes.

Common issues include:

• Maintenance of vehicle equipment

• Speeding

• Noise

• Weight violations

• Truck prohibitions/restrictions

• Aggregate spillage

Traffic control signals

Traffic control signals are used to convey control messages to the road users, in order to:

• Advise motorists of traffic regulations;

• Provide information for motorists to safely navigate through an intersection;

• Increase the public safety through the simplification of conflicting vehicle movements and driving tasks;

• Improve traffic flow.

The planning, design, operation and maintenance of traffic control signals is the responsibility of Traffic Division.

Traffic lights maintenance and repair

If a traffic control signal or traffic sign is damaged and/or missing, please call Public Works to request maintenance.

Accessible pedestrian signals (APS)

Pushing the button of an Accessible Pedestrian Signal will activate audible routes for crossing the intersection. Visually impaired persons are required to press the APS push button for three (3) seconds until the confirmation click is heard. For North/South directions the audible sound is a "cuckoo" sound and "Canadian Melody" or "bird chirp" is for crossing East/West directions. Example located at the intersection at Main Street and Mill Street in Acton.

Lead Pedestrian Interval (LPI)

Is an interval during which pedestrians are able to enter the signalized intersection before vehicles, which improves pedestrian safety. During the LPI, the pedestrian "Walk" display is shown before the "Green" indication for vehicles on the same approach.

Traffic signs

• Provide positive guidance to motorists to avoid hazards;

• Provide uniformity of control messages related to shapes, colours and installation methods;

• Assign a right-of-way;

• Advise motorists of traffic regulations and provide them information necessary for route selections.

Portable Radar Message Board

The Radar Message Board (RMB) is a community based road safety device, which provides immediate vehicle speed feedback to drivers. The RMB is a portable radar unit which combines a radar gun and a large LED speed display board. The unit is powered by a portable battery pack. The RMB is available free of charge to community representatives to be used in your area. The unit is completely safe, very easy to set up and operate.

By keeping track of vehicle speeds, you can provide a RMB Citizen Report to the Halton Regional Police Service for excessively speeding vehicles. When you return the unit, submit your RMB Citizen Report Form and Halton Regional Police Service will send a warning letter to the registered owner of the vehicle.

Road Watch

Purpose

The purpose of the Community Road Watch program is to promote road safety. For more information please contact Georgetown Division District #11, Police Station: 905-878-5511.

What is the process?

• Complete the form to report incidents of dangerous driving.

• Submit completed form to Police station for appropriate follow-up.

How we are organized

Halton Community Road Watch is a partnership of the Community Consultation Committees, Halton Regional Police Service, Municipalities of Halton Hills, Milton, Oakville, Burlington, Region of Halton and the Ministry of Transportation in Ontario. We meet as necessary as individual groups or as joint groups with the stated common purpose in focus.

Vision

To have a significant impact on road safety within the Municipal Region of Halton during the year 2002 and into the future.

Video

A 30 minute video outlining the Road Watch program is available to interested parties Contact your local Police station to borrow a copy. As well, requests for a speaker can be made, who will explain the program. Consult with your local Police station for further details or download the Roadwatch Submission Form.

Pedestrian signals

The walking pedestrian signal permits pedestrians to enter the crosswalk. The flashing "Don’t Walk" signal indicates to pedestrians in the crosswalk to finish crossing and indicates to pedestrians on the sidewalk to not enter the crosswalk. The steady hand indicates to pedestrians to not to enter the crosswalk. Example located at the intersection at Main Street South and 15 Side Road.

Traffic infrastructure maintenance

In similar respect that directly affects road safety, if you notice that any traffic signs are damaged or missing, please contact the Public Works section at 905-873-2600 Ext. 2603 to reach the Public Works clerk. After hours, please call 905-873-2600 and press "4" to leave an automated request for service. The sooner we know about the problems the faster corrective action can be undertaken and accident potential minimized.

The Town of Halton Hills has entered into an agreement with South Western Energy Inc., a subsidiary of Halton Hills Hydro, for the maintenance of streetlights for the next five years.

To ensure maximum benefit and efficiency for the roadway illumination system, if you notice any streetlight in the Town is out or turning on and off intermittently (cycling) please contact the new voice mailbox at 519-853-3700 Ext. 226. Repairs are only made after the deficient streetlight is brought to the Town's attention.

Traffic calming

Traffic Calming Implementation Protocol

The Town of Halton Hills has a Traffic Calming Implementation Protocol, outlining the process for installation of traffic calming measures.

What is it?

Traffic controlling devices used to reduce speed and/or volume of vehicular traffic on neighbourhood streets. Below are examples of Traffic Calming methods.

Local and collector roads

• Speed humps

• Roundabouts

• Centre medians (Islands)

• Curb extensions (bump outs)

• Oversize Speed Signs

Arterial roads

• Vehicle Activated Traffic Calming Signs

• Pavement markings, gateway features and oversize speed signs

Why is it incorporated on our roads?

• Increases safety and liveability in the neighbourhood.

• Reduces negative impacts of motor vehicles in high-traffic areas.

• Increases driver awareness of street functions (which reduces vehicular speed).

• Discourages non-local traffic from traveling through a neighbourhood.

• Encourages public involvement in traffic calming activities.

• Reduces conflicts between various street users, including motorists, cyclists, pedestrian and others.

40km/h Area Speed Limit

In 2021 the Town of Halton Hills undertook the 40 km/h Speed Limit Area Pilot Project to assess speed reduction signage combined with and without traffic calming measures to determine if there is a positive impact on reducing overall speeds on our roadways. 

Staff prepared a final recommendation report based on the Pilot and presented it to Council on July 4, 2022. The report summarized the findings of the 40 km/h Pilot Project and outlines the Town’s Council endorsed 40 km/h Speed Limit Area Policy. To learn more about the Pilot and and the public engagement process please visit the 40 km/h Speed Limit project page on Let’s Talk Halton Hills. 

Community safety

The Halton Regional Police Service operate a number of programs which actively involve residents in educating and reporting traffic concerns:

• Drive SAFE (Safety Awareness for Everyone) Roads Partnership

  • Town and Police staff work hard to identify, verify and risk assess traffic concerns, be they citizen complaints or through police observation. Officers from Georgetown Police station are tasked to conduct robust enforcement at those locations which have been deemed moderate to high risk. These locations receive targeted enforcement for a period of one month in an effort to modify driver behaviour through enforcement and education.

• Project Rural Impact

  • Officers address rural speeding concerns at specific locations within the rural community of Halton Hills. This takes the form of bi annual enforcement blitzes led by the District Response Unit and supported by platoon officers.

• Canada Road Safety Week

  • Georgetown officers target the 4 high risk driver behaviours (Impaired driving/Aggressive Driving/Distracted Driving/Seatbelt noncompliance) during Canada's Road Safety Week in May. This is a "All Hands on Deck" approach and leads to one of the most significant enforcement efforts within the province.

• Ride SAFE (Safety Awareness for Everyone) Halton

  • A motor cycle safe riding awareness campaign to be complimented by motor cycle enforcement along rural routes in Halton Hills. New warning signs have been designed and purchased by the Town to be installed along a popular high risk route.

• Project ERASE (Eradicate Racing Activity on Streets Everywhere)

  • Street racing is a very dangerous activity. To combat this officers from Milton and Georgetown have developed partnerships with other police agencies within the GTA to target this driving behaviour. It will not be tolerated within our community.

• All officers are TRAFFIC officers

  • Police in Halton Hills understand that aggressive driving is a concern for all residents and all officers are expected to play their part in helping to make the roads as safe as possible.  Residents can also submit Traffic Complaints and Road Watch reports online.

For further information on any of these programs, or to report a speeding concern, please contact the Halton Regional Police at 905-825-4747. The Town of Halton Hills has been designated as a Safe Community through Parachute, a national charitable organization dedicated to an injury-free Canada with Canadians living long lives to the fullest.

 Red light camera program

The Red Light Camera Program is under the jurisdiction of Halton Region. The purpose of the Red Light Camera Program is to improve road safety and reduce the number of drivers running red lights. The camera takes pictures of red light violators 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but only operates when a vehicle enters the intersection once the light has turned red. There are three red light cameras currently located in Halton Hills:

• 10 Side Road (Regional Road 10) and Ninth Line (Regional Road 13)

• 5 Side Road and Trafalgar Road (Regional Road 3)

• 10 Side Road (Regional Road 10) and Eighth Line

 Roundabouts

What is a Roundabout?

• An intersection where all traffic circulates in a counterclockwise direction, to the right of a central island.

• All entering vehicles must yield to traffic already in the roundabout.

• All vehicles must yield to pedestrians at designated crosswalks.

Why do we have Roundabouts?

• They reduce speeds
  • Motorists must lower speeds to navigate through a roundabout.
• They improve safety

  • Roundabouts reduce the number of vehicle conflict points and cause motorists to reduce their speeds.

  • Reduces severity of collisions due to lower speeds and the reduction of right-angle and head-on type collisions.

  • Increase pedestrian safety through shorter crossing distances.

• They reduce traffic delays and improve traffic flow

  • Several motorists can use the roundabout at once.

  • There are fewer stops as cars yield at entry points and are continuously moving.

  • A high volume of left turning vehicles is better handled by a roundabout than a traffic signal or a gap in road traffic.

• They reduce pollution

  • Reduced delays result in reduced fuel consumption.

  • Reduced emissions result in improved air quality.

• They reduce maintenance costs
  • The roundabout eliminates maintenance and electricity costs associated with traffic signals.

How do I use a roundabout?

This video was sourced from Region of Waterloo. For more information, please visit the Halton Region or Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

Speeding concerns

Please watch the video below for updates on the Barber Drive speeding issue.

The Town of Halton Hills utilizes the Northwestern University Speed Limit Determination Method to establish posted speed limits on roadways under the jurisdiction of the Town of Halton Hills. To identify roads under the jurisdiction of the Town within the municipal boundary, please review the Official Plan’s Schedule B1, Major Transportation Facilities. Both the Town and Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) provide residents with options to address their speeding concerns within their neighbourhoods:

• Radar Message Boards (RMB), both the Town and HRPS deploy electronic message signs that display operating speeds of approaching vehicles. The RMBs alert motorists about their operating speeds and help to slow down vehicular traffic.

• The HRPS implements Community Road Watch Program to promote road safety. Citizens can report aggressive driving to HRPS by completing the Road Watch Form. The program is very effective in addressing speeding concerns on roadways with a minimum cut-through traffic.

• To determine operating speeds on a roadway, the Town undertakes Spot Speed Radar Studies (SSRS) or utilizes Automatic Traffic Recorders.

• To reduce negative effects of motor vehicle use, alter driver behaviour and improve conditions for non-motorized street users on Local and Collector residential roads, the Town established the Traffic Calming Implementation Protocol.

• Vehicle Activated Traffic Calming Signs (VATCS) are electronic signs displaying the maximum speed limit, flashing amber beacons and the “Slow Down” message. The VATCS flash when motorists exceed the maximum posted speed limit.

If you have concerns regarding speeding, aggressive driving or the posted speed limit please review available options and contact Transportation and Public Works.

 Traffic counts

What is it?

• The counting of vehicular traffic on a particular road at specific times.

• Often done by an electronic traffic counter, which usually consists of a cable that runs along the road which attaches to a box on the boulevard.

• It can classify the types of vehicles using the road (cars, trucks, motorcycles, bikes).

• It can measure the speed of traffic on that specific road.

Why conduct traffic counts?

• To identify which routes are most used.

• To improve specific roads.

• To provide alternative routes if there is an excessive amount of traffic.

• To review speed limits.

• To classify roads based on Ontario Minimum Maintenance Standards.

• To plan and install effective signals, signs, and intersections.

Looking to purchase a property?

Prior to purchasing any property (residential or commercial) it is advised to look at traffic counts of a particular road.
This will help you identify volumes of traffic around your future property.