The Traffic Advisory Committee of Durham Region has implemented a plan called the Neighbourhood Traffic Watch Program. A partnership with the Durham Regional Police Service, City of Pickering Roads & Traffic Section, and Town of Ajax Traffic Dept., have joined forces to provide a safer community and to reduce speed in certain areas of the cities.

The Neighbourhood Traffic Watch Program has been designed to target various neighbourhoods where residents have requested this program. The Program is intended to bring a heightened awareness to the community and specifically the offenders, who are typically other area residents, that they will be identified and that their actions will not be tolerated. Application forms can be picked up at Ajax / Pickering Community Police Offices, and City of Pickering or Town of Ajax Municipal Offices. Specific instructions are to be followed and the Traffic Advisory Committee will review the application forms based on criterias in the Program Implementation Outline.

Program Implementation Outline

Ajax-Pickering Traffic Advisory Committee
The Municipalities of Ajax and Pickering shall establish a Traffic Advisory Committee consisting of a member of staff from each of the municipalities, a public representative as appointed by the respective Councils and a member of the Durham Regional Police Service.

The Committee will be tasked with creating innovative methods of effectively combating excessive vehicle speeds in the communities of Ajax and Pickering and administering the distribution and use of the speed display equipment throughout the community. The Committee may also be requested to investigate and report on other traffic complaints including intersection safety, stop sign warrants, etc.

Neighbourhood Traffic Watch Implementation Plan
Upon receipt of a traffic complaint or a request from the community for participation in the Neighbourhood Traffic Watch Program, municipal staff and/or Durham Regional Police shall provide the complainant and/or the interested group with an information package. The package shall include an Introductory Letter, Program Implementation Outline and an Application Form. The availability of the program will be subject to the following terms and conditions:

• The application to have the names and signatures of a minimum of twelve individuals from different households willing to voluntarily participate in the program. Failure to obtain the minimum number of volunteers may result in the Committee denying the program request;
• One of the twelve volunteers shall be identified as the contact person and shall be responsible for the community use of the radar speed display equipment;
• The application form shall clearly identify the exact traffic problem (i.e., speeding, fail to stop or yield, erratic driving) as well as the location of the problem and time of day it occurs;
• Applications that note any identifiable individuals, agencies or groups as the source of the problem will be re-directed to the Durham Regional Police for action;
• The application to include the names and addresses of individuals in the neighbourhood willing to allow municipal staff and/or Durham Regional Police Service to use their driveways or property for study and/or enforcement purposes;
• The program will not be implemented on Provincial or Regional multi-lane arterial roadways;
• Only one program per municipality will be operated at any given time;
• Participation in the program will be scheduled in sequence based on the date successful applications are received.

Following the return of a completed application, the Committee shall review the request to ensure that it meets with all program requirements. If approved, the Committee shall notify the applicants, schedule a program start date and if necessary hold an on-site meeting with the community to discuss all applicable details.

Stage 1
The start of the program shall consist of a technical review of the road(s) in question by staff from the host municipality. The comprehensive review shall include:

• An examination of current traffic controls, pavement line markings and signage,
• Prevailing roadway conditions and operational data as obtained by roadway monitoring,
• Discussions with area residents with respect to their complaints and issues.

The results of the traffic study will be reviewed by the Committee. The data obtained must establish that the 85th percentile vehicular speed is 10 km/hr or more above the maximum speed limit. If the operating speed is found to be less than 10 km/hr above the maximum limit the program will proceed no further.

Stage 2
Should the study data confirm a speeding and/or traffic problem the applicants will be given additional material including a Community Distribution Notice, an Agreement for Equipment Borrow and Return and a Citizen Report Form. If necessary, an on-site meeting will be established between the Committee and the resident stakeholders/applicants to discuss the program and any alternate strategies.

Residents participating in the Neighbourhood Traffic Watch Program will be required to distribute a Community Distribution Notice, as provided by the Committee, to area households. The letter shall identify the purpose of the program and request community co-operation to resolve the problem. The volunteers will then undertake a speed monitoring program on the streets as identified on the application form. As a condition of the program the equipment must be in use for a minimum of two hours a day for a consecutive five day period.

Residents using the speed display board shall track and record all vehicles traveling in excess of 10 km/hr above the maximum speed limit. Under no circumstances are vehicles and or drivers to be confronted. The information recorded on the supplied forms is to be returned with the equipment upon completion of the program within the dates stipulated on the application form.

Stage 3
The data collected by the residents/applicants shall be returned to municipal staff for submission to the Durham Regional Police Service. The processing of plate information and the generation of offender notices will follow. The Durham Regional Police Service shall also schedule and conduct within a reasonable time frame a one week area specific “zero tolerance” traffic enforcement campaign. Municipal staff will conduct a follow up technical traffic study. The Ajax-Pickering Traffic Advisory Committee will review the results and issue a report to the resident/applicants on the success of the program. If the Committee deems it necessary a meeting may be held with the resident/applicants to discuss future and or long term strategies.

The Application Form is available on-line.   [595 kb]

Contact
Should you have any questions about the Neighbourhood Traffic Watch Program, please do not hesitate to contact the Traffic Engineering Section of the Municipal Property & Engineering Division of the Operations & Emergency Services Department for more information at 905.420.4630 or by email.