The process of putting together a new traffic bylaw for North Battleford has begun.
Councillors met for two hours Monday at City Hall to go through the 43-page draft bylaw.
The councillors made it half way through and expect to schedule another meeting to consider the remaining provisions at a future date before the draft goes back to administration for revisions. Councillors also indicated they wanted to get more public feedback about the bylaw as well.
The traffic bylaw includes a number of provisions including several on traffic signs, provisions with respect to heavy vehicle routes and dangerous goods routes, a section on the restricted use of public highways including such things as temporary street closures, parades and obstructions and moving violations.
The provisions for heavy vehicle and dangerous goods routes have been long anticipated by councillors seeking clearly defined routes so weighty traffic could avoid the downtown core. The heavy vehicle route outlined in the bylaw extends around the city using the highways and Territorial Drive, while excluding most of Railway Avenue.
Public works director Stewart Schafer confirmed that signs would be put up designating a heavy vehicle route.
A few provisions were discussed with some changes suggested. One idea that received widespread support at the meeting was a wording change put forward by Councillor Don Buglas that the speed limit be lowered to 30 km/h in all clearly marked and identified school zones on weekdays.
The councillors also were supportive of hefty speeding fines and doubling them from $150 to $300 in those school zones.
Other communities have lowered their speed limits in school zones. It was also noted some of those communities had even stiffer penalties, with Counillor Ron Crush referring to one situation where fines were up to $1,000 in school zones.
There was discussion about how the changes would work and what the impact of lowering the speed limit might have, particularly on long stretches of road such as Diefenbaker Drive next to NBCHS.
Councillor Brad Pattinson, while generally supportive of the speed limit proposals, did suggest common sense be applied, He suggested perhaps limiting the lower limits to the elementary school zones as opposed to the high schools.
In any event, Mayor Ian Hamilton suggested meetings with the school divisions as well as with the RCMP before administration comes back with recommendations on any changes that might be incorporated into the bylaw.
Another provision, one that raised Pattinson's eyebrows, was a proposed prohibition against cords or cables left on "any public highways, sidewalk, or boulevard to be attached to their vehicle while that vehicle is parked on a street."
Pattinson pointed out many people would end up contravening the provision by simply plugging in their cars at -30 C. He worried about fines being handed out to people plugging in their cars in winter.
Others at the meeting had less of a problem with keeping the provision in the bylaw, suggesting it was there to protect the City from liability. Fire Chief Pat MacIsaac also allayed fears the provision might be heavily enforced during sub-zero weather, saying he did not recall any situation where a ticket was issued by his department.
