Patience and common sense needed at busy Paris intersection

County of Brant staff installed temporary barriers at the entrance to the Wincey Mills parking lot after reports of motorists driving over the curb to bypass congestion at the busy Mechanic Street and Broadway Street intersection. The barriers were put in place within 24 hours to discourage unsafe driving behaviour and improve safety for motorists and pedestrians navigating downtown Paris during ongoing construction-related traffic delays.

Casandra Turnbull

Managing Editor

If you’ve driven through Paris lately, chances are you’ve felt the frustration.

Traffic is backing up at nearly every major entry point into town. What used to be a quick drive across Paris can now take twice as long and that’s on a good day. With the Ministry of Transportation’s roundabout construction limiting access to Highway 403, the west end bypass has become far less effective. For many residents, driving through the downtown core is no longer optional; it’s the only route available.

Detours and temporary traffic measures are part of major infrastructure work, and in a growing community, those projects are necessary. At the same time, better advance planning and coordination around overlapping construction projects may have helped ease some of the pressure now being felt across town. Still, with key routes impacted simultaneously, the County is trying to keep people moving through Paris the best way it can.

But what is becoming increasingly concerning is the behaviour of some drivers and pedestrians at one of the busiest intersections in town: Mechanic Street, Broadway Street and the entrance to Wincey Mills.

A four-way stop is still a four-way stop, no matter how backed up traffic becomes.

That means waiting your turn. It means respecting another driver’s right of way instead of inching aggressively into the intersection because you’re tired of sitting in traffic. It means watching for pedestrians before accelerating through the crossing. And it certainly should not mean driving over curbs and through parking lot edges in an attempt to bypass traffic altogether.

Yet that is exactly what has been happening near Wincey Mills.

County Councillor Steve Howes witnessed several motorists driving over the curb at the Wincey Mills parking lot entrance this past weekend in an attempt to force their way out more quickly. To the County’s credit, barricades were installed within 24 hours to stop it from continuing. Howes’ post generated plenty of engagement and prompted others to applaud county staff for quick responses to noted concerns, proving someone is listening and trying to mitigate frustration and dangerous situations.

But the bigger question remains: why was that even necessary?

At some point, personal responsibility has to enter the conversation. Traffic delays are frustrating, but they are not an excuse for dangerous or inconsiderate behaviour. Whether it is impatience, distraction or simple disregard for others, the level of carelessness being displayed at this intersection is becoming difficult to ignore.

And drivers are not the only ones who need to pay attention.

Pedestrians also need to recognize that this intersection is far busier than usual. Looking up from a phone before stepping into traffic should not be considered optional. 

Making eye contact with drivers, checking twice before crossing and exercising caution are all part of safely navigating a congested downtown.

Everyone is frustrated right now. Everyone is delayed. Everyone wants to get where they are going.

But arriving a few minutes earlier is not worth risking someone’s safety.

Construction will eventually end. Traffic patterns will normalize. Tempers will cool. Until then, a little patience, awareness and common sense could go a long way in preventing an accident at one of the busiest intersections in town.