Heather Latter
Plans for “Kiss ’n Ride” developments at Robert Moore and J.W. Walker here are continuing after the Rainy River District School Board approved the projects in principle at its regular meeting last Tuesday night.
The Fort Frances Traffic Safety Committee has been working toward the goal of increasing student safety by reducing traffic congestion around Fort Frances schools by initiating “Kiss ’n Ride” programs, which provide a designated area for parents to drop off and pick up their children.
“The overall mandate of the project collaboration is to reduce injury and death and improve road [traffic] safety through education, public awareness, advocacy, and enforcement,” explained local OPP Cst. Anne McCoy.
The FFTSC consists of representatives from a number of organizations, including the Town of Fort Frances, the local public and Catholic school boards, the OPP, MTO Road Safety, Safe Communities Rainy River District, public health, Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (S.A.L.T.), school administration, bus companies, and parent councils.
It’s been noted that more children are being driven to and from school, and Cst. McCoy indicated schools have received many calls from parents and the public in the past few years regarding the congestion and danger around schools during drop-off and pick-up times.
RRDSB trustee Diane McCormick said members of the FFTSC were shown a video clip taken at a local school where a student ran out in front of a moving vehicle in a very dangerous situation.
“Luckily, the vehicle was moving slowly enough that it could apply its brakes in time,” McCormick noted.
“But it was a very close call.”
Specific routes now have been established for both “Kiss ’n Ride” projects in conjunction with bus contractors, the OPP, town by-law and transportation, and the transportation consortium.
The proposed route at J.W. Walker will see the addition of a bus loop off Flinders Avenue west into the field while the front entrance on Keating Avenue will be utilized for the “Kiss ’n Ride” program.
As part of this project, modifications to the fencing to accommodate the bus loop and an asphalt pathway into the kindergarten playground will be constructed.
Meanwhile, the “Kiss ’n Ride” at Robert Moore will be combined with the completion of the school’s site, which includes two soccer fields, a baseball diamond, basketball courts, and various playground installations.
This development also will include the construction of a “Kiss ’n Ride” vehicle loop on the west side of the school, where an existing bus stop is located, and the construction of a new bus loop on the southeast side.
While the FFTSC is confident the “Kiss ’n Ride” developments will alleviate traffic congestion and ensure safety for students, not everyone is pleased with the proposed plans.
When area residents were notified about the plans, several indicated concerns. For instance, one said people will park in the bus loop during after-school programs and cause more vehicle traffic in the area.
But Travis Enge, manager of Plant Operations and Maintenance for the RRDSB, said there will be a gate that will be locked at all times other than the bus runs.
“If parents do park there, they will not be able to access the school,” he explained.
The residents also said they don’t feel the program will worked as planned.
“The main goal is to separate the bus and vehicle traffic, and this project will do that,” Enge insisted.
Cst. McCoy added “Kiss ’n Ride” programs have been operating successfully in parts of the United States and Canada, including at six different sites in Thunder Bay.
“It is impressive to see the success of the ‘Kiss ’n Ride” programs in other areas,” she noted.
“Those projects have demonstrated the potential for positive change to address safety concerns.”
Tom Marinis, MTO road safety program manager, has worked on all six Thunder Bay “Kiss ’n Ride” projects and now is working with FFTSC on the Fort Frances efforts.
“There are many logistical components to implementing a ‘Kiss ’n Ride’ program,” Cst. McCoy noted.
“Municipal and provincial partners are working together to finalize the implementation plans,” she said.
“Considerable knowledge and experience has been sought during this process, but there is still a significant amount of work to complete.”
Now that the RRDSB has approved the projects in principle, the projects will be tendered and a communication plan developed with the support of the Ministry of Transportation.
Meanwhile, bylaw changes will be initiated by the town.
“The changes we will see in Fort Frances will certainly have a positive impact for our entire community,” Cst. McCoy remarked.
Construction of the “Kiss ’n Ride” projects is scheduled to take place this summer, with the programs aiming to begin in September.
