Most drivers zoom, zoom on back roads
75 per cent found speeding on 11th Line East
Almost everyone driving on the 11th Line East, just east of Crowe River Rd. is going way over the speed limit, a new report to Trent Hills council shows.
Resident Mark Cyr, whose complaints about the fast driving helped prompt the report, told council on Thursday, April 25 that several times in recent years when pulling out of his driveway, which is at the bottom of a hill, he has narrowly avoided collisions with zooming oncoming vehicles.
He called on council to increase police enforcement of the 50 km/h limit and to install signs reminding drivers that this is the limit.
“I have no solutions other than police enforcement to crack down on the individuals,” Cyr said. He acknowledged that everyone speeds a bit but said the rates on his road are excessive.
Mayor Bob Crate sympathized with Cyr’s concerns and said, “the No. 1 complaint that councillors get is about speeding.”
A radar monitoring unit was installed on the 11th Line East from 1:50 p.m. March 27 until 12:05 p.m. April 5. It tracked 1,844 vehicles and found 1,422, or 75 per cent, were going at least 65 km/h. The average speed was 75 km/h and the fastest was 115.
Councillor Rob Pope, who is a member of the new county-wide board overseeing the OPP, said the local detachment gets a more detailed version of this report and can use it to determine the best way to increase enforcement.
Council backs land sale over pickleball
Trent Hills moved a step closer to selling the former site of the Hastings Memorial Arena when council voted Thursday to pass a bylaw declaring the land surplus to its needs.
The vote was unanimous, despite several letters from Hastings area residents who wanted the site turned into a space for pickleball courts in the summer and skating in the winter.
But several other residents supported selling the site.
“The old arena site is, I feel, a perfect place for more housing that will allow seniors to stay within the village,” wrote Cheryl Preston. “It is well situated in the downtown core with easy access to meet the needs of most seniors.”
Resident Mary Jan Lyle had a similar view. “I would love to see some planning which addresses the shortage of AFFORDABLE housing in our Trent Hills community. The arena land in Hastings is ideally located for income geared housing. Perhaps low story senior residences. ... Given the proximity to all amenities this would be fabulous. The Lock 18 homes aren't exactly what most would consider affordable but given the current economic situation facing so many this could help.”
Hastings resident Emily Forsyth suggested the site be retained as a vacant lot because it offers parking that is tough to find elsewhere in the village.
Some residents suggested the site should be retained and used for a new firehall.
Council has been negotiating in private with a developer for the vacant site but could not formalize a sale until the bylaw was passed.
Mayor Bob Crate suggested pickleball courts could be added in the park area across the street, where an ice rink is built in the winter.
Councillor Dennis Savery also declared his support for pickleball and suggested there is unused space south of the Hastings Field House.
Addendum: Apparently the navigation systems on many cars indicate an 80 kph speed limit on many of these roads.
There does seem to be a blatant disregard for the (unposted) 50 km. limit on a lot of roads. There is, of course, a number of speeders who have no idea what the limit is because the signs entering Trent Hills supposed to inform you of this are very difficult to read. In addition, there are some absurdities - 50 kph limit roads adjacent to much more densely populated with posted speeds of 60 kph.