‘Avoid the road or slow down’: Residents split on new speed humps at busy Kitchener roundabout

Drivers are still getting used to the new speed humps at a Kitchener roundabout. CTV’s Hannah Schmidt checks them out.

New safety measures at a busy Kitchener roundabout are drawing mixed reviews, with some residents and nearby businesses welcoming the changes while others voice frustration over the impact on drivers.

“It is a very good idea to slow down the traffic,” Dinesh Jumar, owner of Twice the Deal Pizza, said.

“Speed bumps are meant to slow people down,” said Chris Tsegas, auto mechanic and owner of Fowler Tire.

The Region of Waterloo is testing speed bumps and raised crosswalks at the Homer Watson Boulevard and Block Line Road roundabout, part of a project that started in July aimed at protecting pedestrians and cyclists.

The region said the roundabout was picked for this pilot because of its high pedestrian volume, multiple traffic lanes and collision history.

But opinions on the new features are split among people working and living in the area.

“I think this is a good idea, but some problems are for the cars that are low,” explained Jumar. “They’re touching the ground.”

“It’s one of those things, nobody likes them,” said Tsegas. “But it’s trying to make people slow down.”

Opinions are also divided online. Some commenters said, “every roundabout needs them” and drivers should simply “slow down”, while others argued they “try to avoid it all costs” and that “even though they were going slow through the roundabout - those bumps are very aggressive.”

Auto mechanics warn that drivers who take the humps too quickly risk damaging their vehicles.

“You could avoid the road or slow down,” said Tsegas. “If you hit them hard enough, sometimes you might break a coil or loosen up some suspension parts.”

Officials said staff have already begun collecting data and will continue to do so during the one-year pilot.

A final report will be shared with regional council in 2026 with recommendations about whether crosswalk improvements should be added to existing or new roundabouts.