At a regular council meeting on Monday, July 10 the City of Kimberley council members continued their discussion around the speed concern on Rotary Drive.
According to a report to Council from Director of Operations, Mike Fox, “operations is providing recommendations with regards to a speed limit decrease by the Kimberley Skate Park.”
The speed limit on Rotary Drive, where the skate park is located, is currently 50 kilometres per hour.
In that same report, Sgt. Chris Newel, Detachment Commander for Kimberley RCMP stated, “the RCMP believe a review of the speed limit is not warranted.”
Mayor Don McCormick started off the discussion by saying, “In my opinion, what is the skate park, is more than just a skate board park. There are little kids with bikes and scooters; it’s a park, it’s a playground. I don’t know of any other playground that we have in this City that doesn’t have a restricted speed zone for a playground. I think this playground, as such, should have a speed zone.”
Councillor Darryl Oakley responded, “I guess one of the things to consider would be: if you make that into a 30 kilometre per hour zone, as you head north on Rotary Drive, then you go up to a 50 kilometre per hour zone, and then you come up towards the pool - it’s just the confusion of what segment has what speed limit. I think that’s a long haul to have it intermittent like that. [Sgt.] Chris Newel came in and spoke about that; to hold it at 30 the whole way is just too long.”
McCormick said, “so anybody who’s going down the full length of Rotary has an option; Wallinger or Warren. Where the speed limit is the regular speed limit and the majority of that through traffic goes anyway. The fact of the matter is, Rotary Drive goes from McKim all the way down [and it] has become a playground zone.”
“Rotary Drive has a playground and school zone several blocks away from the area in question. These zones can create confusion among drivers because of the different times and days they are in effect. Another speed zone would create a patch-work of zones, affecting traffic flow and creating issues with respect to enforcement,” said the report. “A short speed zone near Marsden Avenue would be difficult to enforce, driving complaints would likely increase but police would not be able to address the concerns effectively.”
Councillor Oakley asked if there have been any close calls with regards to accidents in that location.
The report stated, “the Kimberley RCMP can report that there has not been a significant number of collisions on Rotary Drive to warrant a review of the speed limit. Over the past few years there has been a small number of relatively minor collisions between Archibald and McKenzie Street.
“The RCMP receives driving complaints on a regular basis. There have been very few, if any, complains of speed on Rotary Drive between Archibald Street and Knighton Avenue. In addition, the speed complaints are often received when the speed is considerably higher than the posted speed limit. Lowering the speed limit does not address the vehicles travelling well above the posted speed.”
Councillor Albert Hoglund said, “I think what the Mayor is trying to say is, is this a playground or isn’t it a playground? I don’t think you have to worry about close calls or whatever, because in all the other areas where playgrounds are, the speed zone is 30 kilometres an hour.
“Do you want this as a playground, or not? I think that’s the question you’ve got to ask yourself. I don’t think you worry about going from 30 to 50 to 30. You make from the pool, down just past where the skate park is, 30 kilometres, and the people are going to have to go 30 right from the school all the way down.”
Councillor Sandra Roberts ended the discussion with, “the people [who live] just beyond that park have a heck of a time convincing people to go 50. Once people get past the skate park, away they go wherever they’re going, that whole part is the speed zone there. So maybe if they slowed down a little bit for that park, they would slow down up ahead.”
Council decided to continue the discussion at the next Committee of the Whole Meeting.
