BONNYVILLE – Drivers within the MD of Bonnyville may need to keep an eye out for changing speed limits.
Council passed a motion to increase and decrease speed limits on their roads throughout the municipality during the July 28 meeting.
Matt Janz, general manager of environmental and protective services for the MD, said administration rounded up information about where there were opportunities to change how fast cars drove through various subdivisions and roads throughout the municipality.
Overall, there were 24 roads that had recommendations to either increase or decrease the speed limit.
There were a number of roadways that saw a 10-kilometre hike to 90-kilometers per hour, including Range Rd. 458 between Twp. Rd. 630 and Hwy. 660, Range Rd 485A between Twp. Rd. 632 and Hwy. 55, Range Rd. 475 between Hwy. 660 and Twp. Rd. 620, Range Rd 473 between Hwy. 55 and Twp. Rd. 642, Twp. Rd. 650 between Hwy. 897 and the Cold Lake Fish Hatchery, among others.
All of the areas that saw a bump up in how fast drivers could go were engineered to handle these speeds. The width of the road and shoulder, grade, surface, and slopes were factors administration considered before making their recommendations.
There are also a number of areas that will see decreases in their speed limits.
According to Janz, any areas that saw drops were a direct result of “recommendations from ratepayers or from the public safety department.”
“Generally speaking, the reductions have been recommended only in residential subdivisions, various or frequently travelled roadways where the engineering of the road, typography, width, and other considerations have been demonstrated that need for a reduction,” he added.
Pike Road, by the Bonnyville Indian-Métis Rehabilitation Centre, will be reduced from 80-kilometres per hour to 50-kilometres.
Narrow roadways and short untrimmed ditches were the reason for why Twp. Rd. 604A between Range Rd. 470 and Range Rd. 471 and Range Rd. 420 A were reduced.
In June, council also passed a motion that would see subdivision speed limits across the municipality be reduced to 40-kilometres per hour.
Coun. Ben Fadeyiw wondered how the MD would be informing drivers of the changes to the speed limits in the coming months.
“Are we going to have soft reminders that it’s going to be a new speed zone? Like a sign that would say ‘new’ - is that happening? I hope we’re going to use those speed reduction signs and not giving out tickets as a reminder.”
Janz responded, “Once this was passed, we had to change our bylaws. We’ll have some time to educate people, put some signage up to say that there’s going to be some increases (and) reductions. I don’t see this happening for a few months, at least. It will give people some time to adjust and to know that there are going to be some changes. Then, after that happens, there will still be some education. We won’t be going out there to write tickets, people have to adjust.”
Administration estimated that approximately 100 signs would be needed to re-sign all subdivisions entrances, speed changes, and speed change ahead signs. The total expenses should come in at approximately $10,000.
