Region’s speed camera causes petition to develop in Woolwich Township

Not everyone is a fan of changes made by the region to Lobsinger Line in Woolwich Township, a road that runs for about 15 km from King St. in St. Jacobs to Hutchison Road in Crosshill.

Through the region’s municipal speed enforcement program, speed limits were changed along Lobsinger Line and added a speed camera near a school.

The placement of the speed camera wouldn’t have been the Mayor of Woolwich Township, Sandy Shantz’s, first choice. While on The Mike Farwell Show, Shantz mentioned the road changes were not initially what she thought they would be.

“The short period from 80 down to 60 down to 40, up to 60 and back to 80 is very difficult and honestly doesn’t make much sense.”

Shantz said she has heard frustrations from people that use the road daily as a transportation corridor. Adding, the region has applied an urban strategy in a very rural area. Shantz has spoken to regional staff about the issue.

“You should be slowing down coming to the intersection anyway, so with the school zone, it’s something I can live with. It wouldn’t have been my first choice of a place to put a camera, but that’s my own opinion,” said Shantz.

The mayor mentioned a one-size fits all solution for roads in the region doesn’t work, as rural roads are driven on differently than the ones in the city.

Unlike in the City of Kitchener, council members for Woolwich Township have yet to take a position for or against the new speed cameras the region is rolling out.

A petition is circulating online for anyone who lives or drives along Lobsinger Line. It’s known to be a commuter line, connecting smaller towns to the tri-cities.

The petition claims the region made “abrupt changes” to the speed limit in front of a new private school zone, adding that the speed cameras have raised safety concerns, caused more traffic and there is concern over a lack of public transparency.

Their goal is to get the region to take action through a list of “Request for Action Tasks.”

One of those tasks include reassessing the speed limits on Lobsinger Line, they want the region to increase the new 40 km/h zone into a 60 m/h zone with targeted enforcement during school hours.

They also want flashing lights installed that would indicate when those speed limits would be enforced for drivers as well as establishing more community engagement to create more transparency before the region makes changes.