Safe Speed Forums

Speeders worry resident
Frank Matys - Jun 16, 2011 - 10:38 AM

ORILLIA - High-speed driving along an otherwise quiet residential street has a south-end homeowner raising a red flag.
Sharon Marouelli says cars, motorcycles, trucks and even school buses regularly speed along Victoria Crescent, putting pedestrians young and old at risk.
"It has been frustrating for us for I don't know how long," said Marouelli, noting the street lacks sidewalks. "We have so many people with pets and kids."
Drivers approaching from nearby Forest Avenue, a long open stretch, are often "just ripping down (Forest)," she said.
Turning onto Victoria Crescent - another open stretch - they "just wind it up again," she added.
Most concerning is that it often isn't until the last second that drivers spot pedestrians walking along the street, due to bends in the road.
"There is no room for recourse if someone takes their eyes from the road for a second," she added. "There could be someone immediately there."

Marouelli said there is no speed limit posted on the street, though on nearby Forest Avenue it is posted as 50 kilometers per hour.
"Unfortunately, I am sad to say that many of the offenders are our own neighbours from nearby streets, who are only too aware of who shares the road with them," she added.
Wild turkeys, baby ducks and turtles are frequently seen crossing the road,
"They are not moving that fast," she added.

Marouelli said mornings and late afternoons "are the big times" for speeding.
"And, of course, on weekends it could be any time of the day," she added.
Motorists who do maintain a safe speed often find themselves tailgated by impatient drivers, some of whom pass unsafely in the left-hand lane, she said.
Marouelli says the city should post the speed limit and police should "step in and make their presence known.
"What will it take before something is done?" she added.

Public works director Peter Dance said the speed limit is 50 kilometers per hour on all city streets unless otherwise noted.
Signs are posted "in a few spots, particularly where somebody may not realize they are in the city" after having exited a highway, he said.
Dance said he had no recollection of having received complaints regarding speeds on Victoria Crescent.
He suggested area residents are likely the culprits given the relatively remote location.
"It is likely people living in the area," he added. "You don't go through there to go somewhere else."

Residents can make police aware of safety concerns, with officers then targeting areas of concern for selective enforcement, Dance suggested.
"Certainly there is nothing that would suggest a lower speed limit is (warranted)," he added.