ST. PAUL - Motorists travelling near St. Paul and within Town limits need to be aware of posted speed limits, with enforcement now in effect along the newly built stretches of Twp Rd 582 and 57th Street, and a speed limit change also being approved near Elks Park, last week.
As construction along Twp Rd 582 and 57th Street wraps up, an enforcement agreement for the portion of newly built road has come into effect, as of Nov. 1.
The agreement was struck in response to concerns about the possibility of speeding along the road, which runs north of the Town of St. Paul, from east to west. The road is newly built, newly paved, and has freshly painted yellow lines, making it feel more like a secondary highway than a side road.
The speed limit along the road is 80km/hour.
The road sees a high amount of truck traffic, and allows motorists to access the Town of St. Paul at a few different points, including 57th Street, which includes the County of St. Paul public works shop.
As a proactive measure, the County of St. Paul approached the Town of St. Paul about creating an agreement that would allow the Town's Community Peace Officers to patrol the stretch of road. Both municipalities agreed to the idea, and the agreement has been struck.
The agreement identifies specific locations in the area for enforcement, which include:
- 57th Street intersection east on Township Road 582 to Highway 881 (North) intersection
- Range Road 94 A north to Township Road 582
- Range Road 93 B north to Township Road 582
- Range Road 93 A north of Township Road 582 to the transfer station
During the Nov. 9 County of St. Paul meeting, CAO Sheila Kitz noted that patrols have been "pretty active" since the agreement came into effect.
When the matter was discussed at the Town of St. Paul's council table, it was noted that educating the public would be the priority, before enforcement through tickets.
"The intention is safety," said Town of St. Paul Mayor Maureen Miller, at the time. It was also noted that the CPOs can easily patrol the areas while doing regular patrols around town.
In August, the County of St. Paul received a request to drop the speed limit along Twp Rd 582 to 70km/hour or 60km/hour.
The road was engineered for 100km/hour speed limit, but the County has opted to keep the limit at 80km/hour.
Elks Park speed reduction
During the Town of St. Paul council meeting on Nov. 8, council discussed an area within the Town that will see a reduction in the posted speed limit. Director of Protective Services Trevor Kotowich was in attendance at the virtual meeting to discuss the change.
He noted the area in question is located near Elks Park in St. Paul, on the northwest side of town, and is also located close to the walking trail and 57th Street.
"Because of the curve that is located here, decreasing the speed limit will improve traffic and pedestrian safety, and make it consistent with other areas in town," said Kotowich. He noted a portion of the road in question was already 30km/hour because of its proximity to Elks Park.
The area also doesn't have sidewalks, which was another consideration taken into account.
Council approved the recommended change to 30km/hour.
