GUELPH – Nine Community Safety Zones are set to go into effect on roads around Wellington County later this spring.
A bylaw designating the road segments where enhanced fines can be levied on motorists for speeding and other traffic offences was approved at the recommendation of the roads committee at the March 31 Wellington County council meeting.
The following road segments are designated as Community Safety Zones under the bylaw:
- Wellington Road 18 between Highway 6 and McTavish Street in Fergus;
- Wellington Road 123 between Henry Street East and York Street in Palmerston;
- Wellington Road 11 between Andrews Drive and Spring Street in Drayton;
- Wellington Road 7 between Wellington Road 21 and Speers Road in Elora;
- Wellington Road 24 from Church Street to 75 metres north of Jane Street in Hillsburgh;
- Wellington Road 46 from 225 metres north of Old Brock Road to 300 metres south of Old Brock Road in Aberfoyle;
- Wellington Road 18 between Chapel Street and Kertland Street in Elora;
- Wellington Road 124 between East Church Street and Millwood Road in Erin; and
- Wellington Road 6 (Sligo Road E) from 50 metres west of Church Street N to 125 metres west of London Road North in Mount Forest.
A staff report from county engineer Don Kudo states a communications plan will be developed prior to the implementation of the nine zones, which is expected to occur in late spring this year.
While the bylaw implements zones agreed to under the county’s Roads Master Action Plan, which was approved in February, councillor Andy Lennox noted the roads committee did discuss other potential zones and configurations at the March 8 meeting.
However, Lennox cautioned against focusing exclusively on Community Safety Zones to control problem traffic areas.
“There’s an old saying … that if the only tool you have is a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail,” said Lennox, who chairs the roads committee.
“And community safety zones, I just want to caution you, is not the only tool we have to manage speed and traffic safety.
“So while we may not always agree … and our residents may not agree on where the safety zone should begin and end, this is a great start forward.
Lennox added, “This is a way to implement a new process to see how this can work in terms of managing speed and safety in particularly sensitive areas across the county.”
