The debate of whether to reduce the speed limits on Fourth Street in downtown Estevan raged for more than a month.
But in the end, it ended with Estevan city council abandoning the speed limit bylaw, and opting for the status quo.
Council was scheduled to vote on second and third readings of the bylaw at their meeting on Monday night. But in the face of enormous public pressure, they decided just to let the issue fade.
If they would have approved the bylaw, the speed limit for the 1100 and 1200 blocks of Fourth Street would have dropped from 50 kilometres per hour (km/h) to 30 km/h. The remaining blocks of Fourth Street would have remained at 50 km/h.
The city had a poll on its website and its Facebook page from Feb. 17 to 22 to gauge public support. Among the 1,447 people who voted, 85 per cent were opposed. Only 15 per cent wanted to see a 30 km/h speed limit on Fourth Street.
Other polls, including one run by the Mercury, indicated widespread public opposition to the proposal.
Mayor Roy Ludwig admitted he was surprised with the level of the opposition to the plan, but he knew people would be upset. When council last discussed speed limits on Fourth Street through downtown Estevan, with a proposed 40 km/h speed limit, it generated a petition that generated more than 1,700 signatures. Council ultimately abandoned that plan, too.
“It would appear that the opposition has not gone away,” said Ludwig. “I thought the police chief did good work (bringing forward the bylaw). Our committees – the traffic committee and the police board – all made suggestions.
“But at the end of the day, it appeared that our public did not want to look at that change. The majority of the public wants it left alone. That was council’s decision.”
When it came time to present the second reading of the bylaw on Monday night, none of the six councillors were prepared to put forward a motion of acceptance, which not only quashed the bylaw, but any debate on the topic.
Ludwig had previously voiced support for lower speed limits on Fourth Street. But he agreed with council’s decision not to further pursue the matter.
He expects that this will be the last time council discusses the issue for some time. Some people he spoke to suggested a 40 km/h speed limit for downtown Estevan, as they believed a compromise would be a good idea.
“I think for now, having the work that’s been done on this, and the decision that’s been reached, I think we’ll just leave it alone for now,” he said.
Ludwig canvassed business owners and employees in the affected blocks on Fourth Street. While there were some people who were strongly opposed to the idea, most were supportive.
“The majority said we look out the window, we see the incidents and it concerns us. Let’s take the speed limit down,” said Ludwig.
The mayor believes the opposition to the speed limit decrease stems from the pace of modern life. People are in a hurry, and they aren’t keen on slowing down.
Police Chief Paul Ladouceur said he wasn’t surprised with the public’s reaction. Once an issue enters a public vote or poll, the public’s opinion is going to carry a lot of influence.
“My personal view is that speed limits aren’t something that’s put out to public opinion,” Ladouceur told the Mercury.
There are issues that the police chief believes should be put out to the public for their feedback, but speed limits and other traffic control issues aren’t among them. He noted issues such as stop signs, traffic lights and other traffic matters aren’t dealt with through public votes, either.
“Quite frankly, council would find themselves gridlocked if we went down that route,” said Ladouceur.
And while Ladouceur advocated for the lower speed limits in downtown Estevan, he supports council’s decision to maintain the status quo.
“They’re in a tough spot,” said Ladouceur. “They do have to answer to the public. Ultimately, the decision is theirs and it’s certainly not mine.”
Ladouceur echoed the mayor’s belief that this will be the last time the speed limit issue in downtown Estevan is brought forward to council for some time.
“I don’t foresee myself, personally, bringing a 40 (km/h speed limit),” said Ladouceur. “I think if it was going to happen, it would have happened. And then, do we continue to debate this over the next year? It’s not a wise decision either.”
The police chief has previously stated that speed limits should be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and he believed the 1100 and 1200 blocks of Fourth Street were an area of concern.
Council first received a report in late January to reduce the speed limits. It had the blessing of the business improvement district, the traffic control committee and the board of police commissioners.
But public opposition was fierce. When council gave first reading to the bylaw at their Feb. 8 meeting, Councillors Brian Johnson and Trevor Knibbs voted against the motion, citing the complaints they had received from the public.
Ludwig said at the time that the public’s reaction would ultimately determine whether the bylaw would proceed.
Thanks to the response to the speed limit issue, Ludwig said website and Facebook could be used as a means to guage public support for issues in the community in the future.
