Community organizations banded together to put up custom road signs to dissuade speedsters in the Haliburton Lake area July 4.
The Haliburton Lake Cottagers’ Association (HLCA) and Fort Irwin Residents’ Association (FIRA) partnered with Dysart et al to put up “slow down” signs at Hodgson Road, Dunn Road, Curry Road and Haliburton Lake Road.
The effort came out of concerns about pedestrians potentially getting hit. FIRA president Andy Valickis said there are issues with traffic and the roads’ limitations.
“A few people have had some close calls, so that’s been raised,” he said. “There still are concerns but this is a great step forward. Getting some signs, getting it in everybody’s heads to slow down.”
A County speed survey backs up the concern on the Haliburton Lake Road south of Ross Lake Road, which has a speed limit of 50 km/h. From April 4 to 14, 53 per cent of drivers travelling north went over 60 km/h, with another 32.2 per cent going between 50-60 km/h. Going south, 36 per cent of drivers went over 60 km/h, with 38.9 per cent going between 50-60 km/h. It has prompted calls from the associations for enforceable speed limit signs. But Valickis said the township is awaiting the completion of a road and speed study first, which they anticipate will be next year.
“We still need that enforceable, ‘here’s a speed limit, the cops will get you for doing over the speed limit.’ Right now, (drivers) don’t know what the speed limit is,” Valickis said.
But the municipality agreed to let the slow down signs go up in the meantime and paid for the poles used for them. Ward 5 Coun. Walt McKechnie said it is great the associations are doing this.
“They’re trying to educate the people to slow down and that’s what it’s all about. We’re all driving too fast. I think we’re all guilty of it at one time or another,” McKechnie said. “We’re trying to accommodate them.”
Valickis said they hope to put up a couple of more signs to address other problem spots, such as a difficult sharp corner. Besides that, they plan to eventually have speed limit signs put up.
“It’s a good compromise but we’re still not finished,” he said.
