Residents of Millburn Boulevard in Fergus will soon see a lower speed limit on their street.
The committee of the whole of council voted on Monday to reduce the speed limit on the controversial street to 40km per hour from McQueen Boulevard to Scotland Street, and place a new three-way stop sign at the St. David Street South and Millburn Boulevard intersection.
Those moves were not unanimous, even though residents on the street have been complaining for several years about speeding traffic.
Public Works Director Ken Elder told council there was a “perceived concern about traffic speeding through the subdivision.”
OPP officers have told council several times speeding on that road is no worse than other places, but residents continued to complain.
Elder also noted people tend to use the street as a bypass, and that will stop when McQueen Boulevard is someday extended to Scotland Street.
Councillor Fred Morris has championed the speed reduction at council. He said there are about 90 houses and 79 driveways that empty onto Millburn every day, and in the last few months, he has received numerous complaints from residents.
High snowbanks at the end of driveways have made it particularly difficult for people backing onto the street.
He added the OPP told him lowering the speed limit will make it easier for police to enforce speeding rules.
Councillors heard that the road carries 2,000 vehicles per day.
Councillor Bob Foster also supported the speed limit reduction. He said Millburn is “a de facto local road that handles a collector [road’s] volume. I’m supporting this.”
Walt Visser, who was in the chair for the operations committee report, told council, “I don’t agree.”
But the rest of council did. Visser was the lone opponent when he called the vote, and the motion carried.
Morris said later there have been pets hit in the road, but thankfully no children. He did not know if there had been any major accidents on it.
