Township mayors want case-by-case approach to speed enforcement

It would fair to say most drivers agree that the safe thing to do is to reduce your speed in a school zone. And yet the issue persists forcing local government to take action through initiatives like speed cameras.

But, when it comes to where and when to place them, feeling differ.

A recent example is the installation of a camera near a school on Lobsinger line in Woolwich Township. Along with the camera there is a sudden drop in the speed limit through the newly designated school zone.

Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz is among the voices calling for the Region of Waterloo to reconsider that decision and come-up with an option that better suits the area.

Lobsinger is a busy route connecting the rural township to the north end of Waterloo. The area in question sees the limit drop from 80 km/h to 60 km/h to 40 km/h then right back up again.

Shantz says that’s creating a dangerous bottleneck and it just doesn’t make sense. And you when you add in the speed camera, drivers are really hammering on the breaks.

Wellesley Mayor, Joe Nowak agrees, the Region’s one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t always work in the rural townships. He was a guest on The Mike Farwell Show and thinks there should be conversations with the Region but he foresees issues.

“I think what we have to be mindful of is most of the regulations put in place by the Region come from the Ministry of Transportation,” he said. “Those regulations are sort of written in stone, so I’m not sure what route we would have to take in the long run.”

He went on to say that he’s not questioning the effectiveness of the 40 km/h school zone or speed cameras specifically.

“They work, there’s no question. Recent statistics have indicated that where those (cameras) have been placed, speed has dropped by around 65 per cent. People have become aware of them.”