Councillor Hume’s safe streets program is a big success in Alta Vista,
Hume spends ward-office money to slow motorists
Coun. Peter Hume’s crackdown on speeders in his Alta Vista ward has reduced the number of heavy-footed motorists, making his work the envy of fellow politicians who want to replicate his success.
Hume spent money from his own office budget to launch the annual safe streets program in his ward in 2011, using electronic speed readers to track where motorists were driving too fast. The annual blitz led to several traffic management strategies, including new stop signs, school zone signs and police speed traps, which have helped change driver behaviours, according to a report presented to the transportation committee Wednesday.
With speeding being one of the main reasons residents contact ward offices, the impressive results were applauded by committee members, who want to implement similar strategies.
“The point wasn’t to make them envious,” Hume said. “It forms part of a greater understanding of the traffic situation in my community.”
Figures collected in 2013 show motorists frequently raced along main collector roads above the 50 km/h speed limit, while those driving on neighbourhood streets, at least for the most part, were well within posted limits.
Coronation was particularly problematic: more than 40 per cent of the nearly 3,900 vehicles heading east in the 500 block exceeded the 50 km/h limit during a week in early July. The bulk of those, however, (31.6 per cent) were under 60 km/h.
In the westbound lane the following week, 47.7 per cent of 12,000 motorists were recorded speeding. More than 35 per cent of those were under 60 km/h.
Hume strategically placed two radars on roads throughout his ward three years in a row. For the past two years, he has recorded data that allow him to target problem areas with larger speed limit signs or police speed traps where necessary.
In addition to Coronation, other collector roads like Kilborn Avenue and Tremblay Road also recorded a significant number of vehicles exceeding the 50 km/h limit. But effective strategies seem to have changed driver behaviour.
Introducing pavement markings to remind motorists of the speed limit improved compliance in problematic areas. Most impressively, the data show results on Kilborn Avenue, where the rate of drivers obeying speed limits went from 48 per cent before the markings were painted to 72 per cent after, the report indicates.
On Coronation, speed limit compliance increased from about 18 per cent to about 33 per cent. On Saunderson Drive, the rate jumped from about 55 per cent to 67 per cent.
“Speeding and general traffic concerns are pretty much the No. 1 issue (councillors) hear about in their offices,” Hume said. “This (strategy) gets us out there, and it’s a very visible presence.”
The councillor boasts about spending very little on the improvements. Aside from the $2,500 for each radar unit, Hume spends about $3,000 a year for his program.
Though some of his fellow politicians might turn to him for tips, not all can afford it. But that might be their own fault, say councillors Tim Tierney and Rainer Bloess. Both pointed to a 2011 transportation committee motion that aimed to create a program to allocate $30,000 to each ward for similar programs.
That motion, which passed by a slim 5-3 margin, was later dropped from the council agenda. Tierney and Bloess said councillors could have had the money but there was not enough support.