South Frontenac lowers speed limits on four of it's roads

Posted Feb 16, 2012 By Craig Bakay

EMC News South Frontenac Township voted to join the City of Kingston by lowering speed limits on sections of four roads that they share jurisdiction for at its regular meeting last week in Sydenham.

The move was far from unanimous and could lead to a review of speed limits throughout the Township.

The roads affected are Spooner Road East (to Perth Road Easterly), 60 kph, Spooner Road (Dover Road) (to Latimer Road Easterly), 50 kph, Horning Road (to Sydenham Road Westerly), 60 kph, and Orser Road (Sydenham Road to 3.8 kilometres west of Sydenham Road), 70 kph.

Under the Highway Traffic Act, the speed limit on any road without a posted speed limit is 80 kph.

Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth told Council: "The City of Kingston has undertaken an assessment of speeds on over 30 of their rural local roads using the Canadian Guidelines for Established Posted Speed Limits.

"These guidelines were adopted by (South Frontenac) Council May 25, 2010 (and) the four road sections (affected) are boundary roads with our municipality."

As per the Municipal Act, if a highway is under the joint jurisdiction of two or more municipalities, then a bylaw in respect of the highway must be passed by all of the municipalities having jurisdiction over the highway.

The South Frontenac Public Services Committee supported the bylaw, Segsworth said.

Coun. Ron Vandewal, however, did not.

"I'm opposed to lowering speed limits," Vandewal said. "There is no point whatsoever to having a limit below 60 kph because nobody is going to drive it.

"I would be more comfortable if things were done all over the Township instead of one or two roads at a time."

Coun. Al McPhail, who sits on the Public Services Committee, said the same concerns were raised at a committee meeting.

"We did look at that but we have been spending a lot of time on waste management."

Mayor Gary Davison agreed with Vandewal to a certain extent, asking for a further report.

"Can I ask you (Segsworth) to follow up on the entire Township?" Davison said. "Sounds like we have need for a report."