Belleville denies Councillor Thompson’s amendment to add traffic lights at Farley and Bridge intersection for $350k

During the 2026 Capital Budget deliberations on Tuesday, Belleville City Council voted down a motion to install traffic signals at the intersection of Farley Avenue and Bridge Street East.

The amendment, brought forward by Councillor Thompson, sought to add $350,000 to the 2026 Capital Budget funded by the Asset Management Reserve Fund to add signals during the upcoming reconstruction of Bridge Street East.

Councillor Thompson argued that with the street scheduled for rehabilitation – primarily driven by water main replacements – now was the most cost-effective time to address safety concerns at the intersection:

I’m only going by what I’ve requested from citizens going there… people going through the stop signs,

If we went and put them in without reconstruction already happening, it would be more expensive. This is the time… it’s cheaper.

Thompson acknowledged that the intersection might not meet technical metrics but cited previous examples – specifically College Street at Quinte Gardens and Sydney Street near Giant Tiger – where Council opted to install lights for safety reasons despite a lack of statistical justification.

Councillor Lisa Chatten suggested a traffic circle (or roundabout) as an alternative to traffic lights at the Farley and Bridge intersection.

Her reasoning included:

• Provincial Context: She referenced Premier Doug Ford’s recent comments regarding speed enforcement and bike lanes, suggesting that traffic circles might align better with current provincial directions on traffic flow and enforcement.
• Speed Control: She noted the need for different methods to slow down traffic within the city without resorting to speed bumps.

Staff analysis: “Warrants” not met

City staff confirmed that the intersection does not currently meet the “signal warrants” required by the Ontario Traffic Manual. These warrants are based on factors such as traffic volume, pedestrian activity, and collision history.

When asked for cost estimates, staff provided the following figures:

• Traffic Signals (no turning lanes): Approximately $350,000.
• Roundabout: Approximately $1 million (excluding property acquisition and utility relocations).

Staff also noted that when Bridge Street East was reconstructed in the 1990s, underground conduit was installed at Farley Avenue to allow for future signals. As part of the upcoming project, this conduit will be inspected and upgraded if necessary, preserving the option to install lights in the future without digging up the road again.

Discussion

Opposition to the amendment was led by Councillor Lisa Chatten, who expressed concern about ignoring established data and engineering standards:

If it doesn’t meet signal warrants, then we open ourselves to setting a precedent that we can just ignore the warrant work that we do and start putting signals and stop signs… willy-nilly across the city,

I am not prepared to support something at this stage that does not meet signal warrants for that part of the city.

Councillor Carr inquired about future development. Staff indicated that even with a conservative 2% annual growth projection, the intersection is not expected to meet signal warrants in the near future.

The motion failed to gain the necessary support from the rest of Council.