Not since our residents engaged in the great garbage pickup debate, have we witnessed such a compelling topic to chew on and chew up in the past few weeks.
We speak, of course, of the pending new regime of speed zones within the boundaries of the Energy City.
The volume of recent tweets, Facebook postings and emails we received indicates this is the next compelling topic for local citizens.
At this stage of the game we almost felt it was wise to sit on the fence and simply field comments that are flying in from all corners and just be the conduit of information between the citizens, the Estevan Police Service, Estevan Police Board and the Traffic Control Committee who filed original communications recommending the changes to speed zones in various parts of the city.
If all the recommendations or proposals gain city council approval, Estevan will have speed limits that will vary from 80 km/h to 20 km/h, depending on what section of the city you happen to be driving through.
Local drivers will be faced with observing and then adhering to speed limits that will vary in 10 km/h increments throughout the city, with the exception of a 40 km/h zone, and even that speed was suggested at one point.
While we don’t have enough information yet as to exactly where these new speed limits may be invoked, we have to question the capabilities and enthusiasm of local officers to enforce the impending hodge podge of speed limits.
We favour some of the suggestions we have heard to date, such as a desire to reduce the speed limit in the central business district. But enforcement will be another question.
Switching from a 50 km/h zone to a 30 km/h sector simply by turning a corner or driving up or down a hill, becomes a nightmare. And, if there aren’t expensive speed limit signs posted on practically every block, we suggest a good portion of the responsible vehicle operators in this city, especially visitors, won’t really know what the speed limit will be in any given area of the city.
If a motion is passed to approve reductions as suggested, a motorist on Fourth Street for instance, will be subjected to a 50 km/h green light just past the courthouse, and through to the next speed zone of 70 km/h. But, right downtown, they might be ticketed if they don’t brake to 30 km/h for a two-block section that also includes two mid-block cross-walks that many pedestrians continue to ignore, still preferring to jaywalk.
We have sensible 30 km/h speed limits around schools and playparks that are often ignored, and local traffic flow on major throughways such as King Street and Kensington Avenue that indicate, to drivers they could maybe travel at the speed dictated by the flow of traffic rather than the posted limit. It often appears that weather, traffic volume and road conditions better dictate traffic speeds on these roads than any posted speed limit.
We have 70 and 80 km/h zones on the city’s outer edges that require strict attention by motorists who will need to know when it will be safe to accelerate from 20 to 30 to 50 to 70 to 80 just to get in and out of the Energy City.
We know ignorance cannot be used as a defense in a courtroom, but we think it might get a good hearing and some sympathy from the justice system dealing with speed limit tickets issued in Estevan if all the current proposals and recommendations are passed.
Common sense must eventually prevail.
