A road running through the Jack Miner Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Kingsville will soon have new traffic calming markings, but the sanctuary’s executive director says more needs to be done to protect wildlife and visitors. Kingsville council has opted to install ‘SLOW DOWN’ pavement markings and transverse white bars along Road 3 West at a cost of up to $3,000, rather than lower the posted speed limit. The town is also investigating the potential use of rumble strips as another traffic calming measure. The speed limit along the stretch is 60 km/h, but a recent traffic study found vehicles travelling the road averaged 67 km/h. Matthew Olewski, manager of the Jack Miner Migratory Bird Sanctuary, said he recently raised concerns with council about the speed of traffic through the sanctuary. The road cuts through about 450 acres of sanctuary property and is used by visitors attending events, programs and walking the site’s five kilometres of trails, he said. “Our mandate is to care for the birds,” Olewski said. “And we have data that backs up the fact that more can be done to ensure their safety through this corridor.” Olewski said the sanctuary has recorded upwards of 10 geese struck and killed along the road over the past year, but believes the actual number is higher because some birds may go unreported. He said the sanctuary also has to deal with the difficult task of responding when injured birds are found. Olewski said a Canada goose was struck and killed on the road the day before his interview with CTV News. He also recalled an incident last year when a busload of kindergarten students visiting the sanctuary witnessed a goose being struck by a vehicle. “All the kids witnessed a goose being struck by a car,” Olewski said. “They all had a front row seat.” Olewski said the pavement markings approved by council are a positive step, but he remains skeptical they will have a lasting impact on driver behaviour. “It is paint on the road,” he said. “Sometimes paint on the road doesn’t keep people in lanes.” He said he would prefer physical measures that force drivers to reduce their speed. “Something that will do a better job of ensuring that the traffic does slow down,” Olewski said. Still, he said he appreciates the town taking action. “I’m always greatly appreciative of any form of progress,” Olewski said. “And this is progress.” The traffic measures also received support from some visitors to the sanctuary. Kingsville residents Alex Scott and Gaetano Dimauro, who both recently moved to the community from Quebec, said encouraging drivers to slow down is a good starting point. “I think it’s a fantastic idea,” Scott exclaimed. “The people in Kingsville and the area are shockingly kind. You ask them to slow down, they know why, so yeah. Start gentle.” Dimauro said safety is particularly important because the sanctuary attracts families. “It’s family oriented as well. So, you want to be safe. Better safe than sorry,” he said. And when it comes to protecting the birds, Scott said the message is particularly fitting for the sanctuary. “Besides, in the spirit of Jack Miner, we don’t want to be running over birds in the road,” Scott said. Fellow Kingsville resident Ken Krizan said he is less convinced the markings will make a significant difference. “It might slightly help,” Krizan told CTV News. “I don’t think it’ll help much, but it might.” According to Olewski, the effectiveness of the new measures will ultimately come down to whether drivers actually slow down. He said the sanctuary will continue working with the town and reassess the situation as more data becomes available. “We’ll reassess and reevaluate as time goes by,” Olewski said. - With files from AM800 News/Dustin Coffman
