Speed limit too fast through Summerland?
Local politicians are firing up an effort to reduce speeds on the Highway 97 corridor through Summerland.
The move, led by Coun. Erin Carlson, is also intended to harmonize a handful of different speed limits drivers encounter as they travel through Summerland and Trout Creek.
When approaching Summerland from the north, for example, “people are still driving 120 km/h as they enter and pass that ‘Welcome to Summerland’ sign, and then as they come up towards Sumac Ridge they start to slow down when they see the first 70 km/h sign, but maybe that isn’t soon enough,” said Carlson at Monday night’s council meeting.
“Those are the types of issues that I think need to be addressed. Maybe every 200 metres we need a sign that tells people what the speed limit is so that they get reminded. Maybe we need to have other ways of enforcing or encouraging people to slow down.
“People used to slow down to 70 km/h going through Trout Creek, but now the speed limit is 70 km/h, so people slow down to 80 or 90 km/h going through Trout Creek.
They’re just little things that I think as our population increases and as people continue to come visit and be in the Okanagan, we just need to pay attention and make sure there’s a plan in place for that highway that we’re involved in.”
Carlson put her idea into the form of a motion that was adopted unanimously by council. It calls for staff to send a letter to the Transportation Ministry outlining council’s concerns and asking for a meeting.
Coun. Erin Trainer, who lives in Trout Creek, said people in her community call the morning and afternoon rush hours the “Kelowna 500,” and suggested speeds have increased on Highway 97 between Penticton and Summerland since the installation of a centre median barrier last year.
“I think there’s a subconscious feeling that you’re more safe with those barricades in there now,” said Trainer.
Coun. Marty Van Alphen described attempts to cross Highway 97 at uncontrolled intersections as “insanity.”
“I like the idea of 70 km/h all the way through,” said Van Alphen.
Graham Statt, the district’s chief administrative officer, supported the idea of a meeting with the Transportation Ministry, but noted speed enforcement is the responsibility of the RCMP.
“There could be simple, low-cost, no-cost solutions — more signage, changing signage, other traffic calming measures, et cetera — and if there continues to be, despite those things, the ongoing challenges, then it would be the expectation that we would have to amp up enforcement,” said Statt.
“There have been other complaints that have come in and we’ve actually worked with the RCMP to see some additional enforcement on the highway and they’ve been quite responsive to it. But I think the first step is to see if there’s more that can be done to bring clarity and ease of traffic to those areas from a policy perspective.”