Motorists could soon be facing a much lower speed limit on a part of Fourth Street.
The City of Estevan’s traffic control committee has recommended that the speed limits for the 1100 and 1200 blocks of Fourth Street be reduced to 30 kilometres per hour (km/h) from the current maximum of 50 km/h.
Estevan city council received the recommendation at their meeting on Jan. 18, and seemed open to the concept. The matter has been forwarded to city clerk Judy Pilloud for review and to draft changes to the bylaw.
Police Chief Paul Ladouceur said this process started last year when the police board received a presentation from Barry O’Handley, who is the president of the local business improvement district (BID). The recommendation then went to the traffic committee.
“He made a request that the police look at the speed limit in those two blocks in the downtown core, with the … number of vehicles and the amount of pedestrian traffic that’s down there,” Ladouceur said in an interview with the Mercury.
When Ladouceur first arrived in Estevan in April 2014, there was a lot of debate about speed limits and whether they should be reduced from 50 km/h to 40 km/h for most roads in the city. The decision was to not make a change, and to review speed limits on a case-by-case basis.
“We took an in-depth look downtown, and looked at the speed downtown,” said Ladouceur. “I personally drove that route several times.
“One of the concerns that bothers me the most is the amount of vehicles that are in the curb lane. While some people say ‘There’s vehicles that park at the side of the road everywhere, and how is it any different downtown?’ The difference is the amount of vehicles that constantly park, and the doors that are opening and closing on a continuous basis.”
O’Handley said the reduced speed limits were a topic that BID had on the backburner for a while, but after the fatal vehicle-pedestrian collision last October, they decided it was time to take action and meet with the police board.
“With the discussion that I had with our members on the board, it was fairly obvious they all felt the ideal thing would be to reduce the speed limit through those two blocks,” said O’Handley. “It’s only a matter of seconds when you think about going from 50 to 30 kilometres per hour.”
The entire BID board is onside with the lower speed limits.
BID also wants to retain the mid-block crossings in the 1100 and 1200 blocks of Fourth Street. The crossings have received lots of criticism since the fatal accident nearly four months ago, but O’Handley said pedestrians can see oncoming traffic, and motorists can see signage, lighting and people entering the crosswalks.
“We’ve made it as safe as we possibly can,” said O’Handley. “I don’t know of another crosswalk that’s any safer.”
There isn’t a downside to any measures that enhance public safety, he said.
Ladouceur stressed they aren’t looking to lower the speed on Fourth Street throughout Estevan. They just want to have a reduced-speed zone designation for two downtown blocks.
The police chief doesn’t expect traffic will divert to Third Street, Fifth Street or Sixth Street to avoid the slower speed area.
“What are you going to gain by moving over one street to avoid two blocks of a 30 kilometre per hour speed limit?” he said. “The reality is … that would be a concern if the length of the slowdown was longer, but for two blocks, by the time you moved over to take the other route, you would have made that time up by going straight.”
O’Handley agrees with Ladouceur’s assessment that motorists won’t be looking to other routes to avoid Fourth Street.
This is the first time in several years that council has discussed the issue of speed limits in downtown Estevan. In the summer of 2010, council debated whether to reduce speeds to 40 km/h on Fourth Street from Souris Avenue South to 14th Avenue.
The idea was abandoned after a petition attracted more than 1,700 signatures.
O’Handley believes the public’s stance on speeds through downtown Estevan has changed significantly.
“I’ve driven down there many times since then, checking my speed at 50 kilometres, and it is too fast,” he said.
Council members did have questions about the proposed speed limit reduction when it was brought forward last week. Councillor Lori Carr asked why the recommended speed limit was 30 km/h, instead of a compromise at 40 km/h? Ladouceur countered that reduced speed zones – used for parks, playgrounds, schools and other areas – often have a 30 km/h limit, and so they need to be consistent.
Councillor Brian Johnson wondered why the reduced speed zone wasn’t extended to the 1300 block of Fourth Street, where there is also a lot of pedestrian and vehicle traffic generated by the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch.
Mayor Roy Ludwig said he supports the idea. He expects a reduction in speed will make Fourth Street more pedestrian friendly, encourage greater use of the mid-block crossings, and cut down on jaywalking.
“If the people slow down to 30, maybe pedestrians will feel more comfortable and actually use the crosswalks, which are there for their convenience,” the mayor said.
Most motorists don’t have enough time to reach 50 kilometres per hour when travelling down Fourth Street’s downtown core, either, thanks to the number of vehicles, the traffic lights and the mid-block crossings.
Once city clerk Judy Pilloud is finished with her review, the speed limit issue will be brought back to council. Members will decide whether to maintain the status quo, or proceed with a bylaw that would officially reduce the speed limit.
If the first reading of the bylaw is approved, then there would be two weeks for public consultation and feedback before council decides whether to give the bylaw a second and third reading.
Ladouceur noted there would be a phase-in period for the lower speed limit, as warnings would be issued, as opposed to tickets for the first few weeks.
