Traffic issues are a hot topic for drivers in Humboldt.
During a regular meeting of Humboldt City Council on February 11, Council discussed a speed review that was conducted in Humboldt which asked Council to approve amendments to the Traffic Bylaw.
Two of the changes suggested regard school zones: to maintain a 40 kilometre per hour speed limit in and around schools and to create a school zone on 5th Ave. west of 17th St. and on 17th St. at 7th Ave.
"The review came back saying 40 kilometres an hour is an okay speed," said Coun. Leon Fleischhacker.
The Humboldt RCMP helped the City conduct the traffic review around the schools.
"We did some work with the City on it and determined that speed wasn't an issue in the school zones," said Cpl. Randy Wittig. "It is something the City hasn't taken lightly. They have done a lot of work with it and that was their determination."
Wittig explained they have not seen speed issues in the school zones.
"Everything that we have come up with, it is more of a traffic issue than a speed issue," said Wittig. "We check speeds in the school zones - the most recent we did was at St. Augustine School - where the average speed of the vehicle going by during the school loading times at 8:30-9 a.m. in the morning and 3:30-4 p.m., ...were under 40 kilometres an hour. Even though the speed limit is 40, there were very few vehicles even doing the speed limit."
Although speed is not an issue, he explained there are other problems in the school zones.
"The way we look at it, it is not a speed issue at the schools, it is more of a traffic issue," said Wittig. "There is just a lot of traffic because of ( St. Augustine and Humboldt Public) schools being on Highway 5.
"With (St. Dominic School) on 2nd Ave., we have looked at that one in the past and we've seen the same results, that speed wasn't an issue but the amount of traffic was an issue."
Council said they have noticed a change in traffic problems since the schools starting more advertising of the school zones.
"The schools having the rollout signs has helped the traffic issues around the schools," said Fleischhacker.
In addition to an amendment about school zones, the City also approved the speed limit on Peck Road south of Hwy. 5 to 4th Ave. being changed to 50 kilometres an hour.
