An Age Old Lament About Traffic

Good Morning Resident,

I reiterate  my previous response and what I believe is the solution to the problem of speeding on your street.

First let me say, I acknowledge the problem .  Yours is not the only street with the concern.   It is
multiplied many times by amounts of traffic. A long straight road tends to encourage speed because there are no curves or corners to require  a foot on the brake now and then.

In my experience, the only solution  is  enforcement of the urban regulation speed limit. It's the purpose of  a police army at our horrendous cost.

Regulation speed limit in an urban area is 50 kms. Studies have always shown ,people do drive at speed allowed for the area they are passing through. Signs posted at less, are not observed  unless for an obvious reason like a school.

Passing bylaws and posting signs at less than regulation speed limit do not help .They hinder the process. They are a half-assed political solution.

Police are responsible for enforcing. They will not start counting "excessive speed"  from 40kms. They are  responsible for prosecuting charges. So  far as courts are concerned , regulation urban speed is
50kms.

So, we have a Mexican stand-off.

By doing what residents request and reducing  speed  to 40kms, we frustrate the only method we have for controlling speed . If  drivers are not charged, fines are escaped  but even more significant, so  are de-merit points.

Herein lies  the meat of the matter.  A driver charged with speeding over 40kms ,where  the urban limit is 50Kms has a valid defence. 53 kilometres is not reckless speeding. Except in proximity to a school. A driver does not deserve to lose his licence for driving at  regulation speed.

De-merit points have had to be the most effective tool  ever for controlling driving at speeds in excess of the norm . Nobody can afford to lose a driving licence.
 

I believe  enforcement is the solution to the problem. A dozen or so tickets issued. periodically, with demerit points to the worst offenders are effective for a while. When the problem starts again enforcement has to begin again and another dozen or thirty  tickets issued.

It is an on-going process and always has been.

I am not in favour of building million dollar roads for smooth and effective movement of traffic and  adding lumps and bumps after the fact to make them difficult  to drive on. That's insane.

It's indicative of the modern concept that no problem exists  that cannot be solved by laws requiring an army of police to enforce.

If the idea of making roads hard to drive is valid. maybe  we should strip the off pavement  and let people skid  about on dirt , around massive pot holes, onto boulevards and across sidewalks. .That would slow them down in a hurry and save us a pile of money on paving roads and hiring police into the bargain.

I say we use  the tried and true method of  controlling speeding drivers by enforcing  regulation urban speed limits on Conover Ave, and give  the process  a chance.

In the past, when we used it on Murray Drive, recipients of  tickets issued were  residents of the neighbourhood. 

"We have seen the enemy and it is us "  Alice's Restaurant.