The speed limit on Pinewood Park Drive from Lakeshore Drive to about 370 metres south of Decaire Road will go from 70 kilometres per hour down to 60 kilometres per hour as of mid-January.
In a report from city staff, the speed reduction was recommended by the traffic engineering consultant for the casino development.
The city’s engineering staff did its own review and is satisfied that the reduction is in accordance with the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) guidelines.
“They’re proposing it because of all the development that is happening in that area for safety reasons,” said North Bay Mayor Al McDonald.
City councillor Chris Mayne voted in favour of reducing the speed in that area.
“As businesses and road accesses and egress has increased in the area, the traffic department has identified it as an area where they want to slow traffic down a little bit. There have been some new businesses added to the area, there is more traffic coming on and off the road so there are safety concerns that have been raised,” said Mayne.
“And traffic in that area is only going to increase in the next few years. Here comes the casino, here comes the sportsplex, there will be more traffic in that area.”
The current posted speed just south of Decaire and Cranberry Road will remain the same at 80 km/h.
But City Councillor Bill Vrebosch would like to see that stretch reduced to 70 km/h making the transition into the city less significant.
“They are going to leave the speed zone all the way through from Callander at 80 until they get near the old hotel site. And then they’re going to drop it to 60 there because of requests from people on Decaire Road saying we have to do something with the speed zone there” said Vrebosch.
“I think a more gradual change would be from Cranberry Road at 70 kilometres instead of 80. I think a 20 kilometre change down to 60 kilometres too drastic. People will not pay attention to it and they will get to Decaire Road and they will still be going 75 or 80. And I think this is something that is going to come in the future. I think this is a delay. We’re going to have to change that anyway because that place is going to develop.”
Mayne agrees that it is something for the future.
“Hopefully staff will be looking at that as well. That may come back as a separate bylaw at some point in the near future. But for now, we’re just changing Pinewood Park Drive from 70 km/h down to 60.”
