Ann Baird has had enough.
Baird is fed up seeing cars rip through the rural roads of the municipality, tired of aggressive drivers and increased traffic using the Highlands as a short-cut to avoid the Trans-Canada Highway, and is upset that kids and can no longer walk to a neighbourB次元官网网址檚 house in fear theyB次元官网网址檒l be hit by a speeding car.
ThatB次元官网网址檚 why District of the Highlands councillors proposed the idea of branding the municipality a slow community and changing the speed limits to 30 kilometres an hour B次元官网网址� district-wide.
B次元官网网址淭raffic in the Highlands is something that is becoming more of an issue and community members have been bringing it to our attention that our roads are getting congested,B次元官网网址� Baird said. B次元官网网址淧eople donB次元官网网址檛 feel safe, theyB次元官网网址檙e not going for walks anymore, they donB次元官网网址檛 walk their dogs. This has been an increasing problem.B次元官网网址�
RELATED: Aggressive drivers in the Highlands draws ire of residents
BairdB次元官网网址檚 idea for a slow community is modelled after the slow food movement in Italy, which began in the late 1980s. The movement was a push back against the fast food industry and encouraged people to spend time with others over a meal, cook food from scratch, eat local and promote community to increase overall quality of life.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 really about quality of life rather than the bigger, better, faster, more mentality that is degrading our lives and our community B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 a matter of thinking of solutions that are outside the box,B次元官网网址� she said, adding decreasing the speed limit would make the roads multi-modal and discourage drivers from using the Highlands as a short-cut.
B次元官网网址淲e need to take our community back, we have to create a slower environment for people to interact with each other, go for walks, have their kids play.B次元官网网址�
RELATED: Highlands eyes speed readers on Millstream Lake, Ross Durrance roads
Speeding in the Highlands, and specifically on Ross Durrance and Millstream Lake roads, has been an issue for several months, and one many expect will only get worse as the population in the West Shore continues to grow.
During MondayB次元官网网址檚 special committee of the whole meeting, a dozen residents packed the Caleb Pike House to provide input to council on how to deal with the issue. In recent weeks, the West Shore RCMP has stepped up enforcement during peak times, handing out tickets to speeders.
While mayor and councillors are appreciative of the increased police presence, they questioned how much longer it would last. Staff also floated the idea of installing speed readers and speed bumps, however, Baird said those are band-aid solutions compared to lowering speed limits.
At the meeting, several residents and councillors spoke in favour of the district becoming a slow community.
B次元官网网址淚 think thereB次元官网网址檚 some value to looking at a speed limit revision that takes into account the fact that roads are multi-modal trails B次元官网网址� trails for people, trails for bikes, trails for horses, trails for cars,B次元官网网址� Coun. Gord Baird said.
Coun. Karel Roessingh also liked the idea, but said community support would be necessary to make such a radical change.
B次元官网网址淚 think it would have to involve broad community buy-in. We would really have to make sure that everybody is on board with this,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淓ducation and buy-in would be hugely important were we to consider this.B次元官网网址�
Long-time Highlands resident Sally Gose, who started a petition in August calling on the municipality to work with residents to come up with solutions for traffic calming, said she loved the idea of becoming a slow community.
But not everyone agreed. Ian Pattullo, who has lived in the Highlands for the past 10 years, said a slower speed limit is not the answer.
B次元官网网址淵ou start asking people to drive 30 km/h, youB次元官网网址檙e going to have a line up behind you and the person fourth in line is going to get pissed off and heB次元官网网址檚 going to do something stupid. HeB次元官网网址檚 going to try and pass at the wrong time, heB次元官网网址檚 going to put a cyclist in danger because heB次元官网网址檚 going to lose his patience,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭rying to force people to go that speed, I just donB次元官网网址檛 think is reasonable.B次元官网网址�
Baird believes slowing down the community is a solution that could potentially work, especially if the District allocates funds to the RCMP to help with enforcement. But public input would be need to move forward.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 something that has to be a community decision,B次元官网网址� she said, adding sheB次元官网网址檚 already received emails from residents in favour of the idea. B次元官网网址淭he community has to decide, do they want to be a slow community?B次元官网网址�
In the end, mayor and councillors voted to continue to work with the RCMP on enforcement and ICBC on speed education campaigns.
The idea of a slow community has been sent to the DistrictB次元官网网址檚 land-use committee that will make recommendations to be sent to the next committee of the whole meeting for consideration.
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