The decision to determine whether drivers will have to drive a little slower on Westlock streets was put off until next month.
Ahead of their June 22 meeting Westlock town councillors invited the public to attend an open house at council chambers to get feedback on the proposed new bylaw, which would reduce residential area speed limits from 50 km/h to 40 km/h.
Councillors later spoke to the bylaw at their meeting following the open house and tabled second reading to July 13.
About 10 residents dropped in to the hour-long session, which did not include a formal presentation. Members of council, peace officer Randy Burgess and a representative from Alberta Transportation were on hand to field questions.
Deputy mayor David Truckey said he and council heard valid arguments on both sides of the issue.
“People have questioned why would the town look at this … are there a large number of accidents is that what prompted the change?” Truckey asked. “And we’ve heard what is the cost going to be? There will be some cost, but the town will try and keep it as minimal as possible.
“We’ve heard from folks that have said we find people are traveling too fast, particularly in the downtown business core and in the residential area. So they saw that as a very positive move on the town’s part.”
While the change may seem minimal, regional traffic safety consultant for Alberta Transportation, David Mckenzie, said the 10 km/h reduction can be the difference between life and death.
“Saving that 10 km/h is critical to somebody that’s involved in a collision … that’s when it really makes a difference,” Mckenzie said. “A collision at 50 km/h is a whole lot more devastating to a pedestrian that it is at 40 km/h. That’s really what this reduction is intended for.”
Truckey said Mckenzie’s presentation helped sway councillors who were previously undecided.
“I think his impact was very high,” he said. “It was an even split, very passionate comments on both sides, but once Mr. Mckenzie spoke I think he was the turning point for what council felt was going to be the best for the community.”
Resident Cheyanne Erickson attended the meeting and said she hopes council moves ahead with the amendment.
“The street that I live on is a school zone right now, but we’ve noticed that vehicles are going fairly fast on our street and around our neighbourhood,” Erickson said. “We would like to see the speed limit dropped to slow everybody down.
“Our little four-year-old, we don’t even let her out of the back yard because we know people come flying around the corner.”
Burgess said with the current speed limit in place it’s difficult to ticket and prosecute speeders going between 55 km/h and 60 km/h. If the limit drops, such speeds would warrant a ticket and would hold up in court.
Another resident questioned the necessity of the speed limit change saying he fears the town will get a bad wrap.
“I’m thinking about people coming to visit Westlock — most towns are 50 km/h,” the resident said. “I don’t want us to get a bad name because people got a ticket because the speed limit was 40 km/h when they would think it would be 50.
“Is it a cash grab for the town? That’s what it seems like.”
Truckey disagreed. He said if the bylaw does pass, proper signage would be installed and all drivers will know the limit.
“It’s going to be marked,” he said. “You have to be aware of the speed limit in every community you go to. Certainly in Edmonton, everywhere you go the speed limit changes. It’s 50 in one area, it’s 60, it’s 70, it’s 90, and it’s different all over.”
Resident Darlene Esch said she walked away with some new information after speaking with council and Mckenzie.
“I liked that they were able to tell me that putting it down to 40 increases a person’s survival rate if they get hit by a car,” Esch said. “That’s new information.”
Stephen Warunki attended the meeting to show support for reducing the speed limit.
“The 40 km/h speed limit, I’m in favour of,” he said. “I went all around town testing it and there’s nothing wrong with 40 km/h.”
Director of legislative and corporate services Carol Revega said the town received mixed reaction from online submissions.
“Prior to the meeting there were some e-mails that came in and some of them were asking about highways 18 and 44 and about changing the speed limits there,” Revega said. “Some were talking about that it causes increased problems for police when lowering speed limits. There were those who were for it and those who think it’s ridiculous.”
When reviewing the bylaw council expressed interest in adding playground-zone designation to the areas surrounding the three schools in town.
“My question has to do with the school zones. Are we dealing with them as a school zone? Or are we dealing with them as also a playground?” asked Coun. Curtis Snell.
Burgess said he was also wondering the same thing and pointed out the distinct differences between the two zones.
“Is our intent to make the school zones playground zones? And if it is, I learned something tonight as well, we’ll be changing school zones to school areas and playground zones,” Burgess said. “The playground zone trumps the school zone because the playground zone is in effect from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset.”
In order to add the playground zones into the bylaw, council tabled consideration of second reading of the bylaw until July 13.
“If there’s a minor amendment, we can do that tonight, but if there’s language for a playground zone, I think we’re going to have to table this,” said Truckey.
Coun. Clem Fagnan asked that before tabling the item council discuss the playground zone to get an idea if the motion would pass. Councillors John Shoemaker, Snell, Fagnan, and Sheila Foley indicated support for the new bylaw and adding playground zones.
