For Immediate Release: July 14, 2017
At Wednesday's Stratford Town Council Meeting, Mayor Dunphy and the Town Council expressed concerns over a continuing issue with speeding throughout many Stratford neighbourhoods, and the impact it may have on citizen safety. Town Council and staff receive multiple complaints each week from residents who have witnessed motor vehicles driving well over posted speed limits. In the past, Stratford has taken various steps to address the speeding issues in Stratford, including:
- Implementing a public traffic safety campaign which included signage and an education program
- The purchase and installation of speed humps and a speed radar display in known trouble areas of Stratford. They are also researching the feasibility of portable speed radar display options for these neighbourhoods with the data being shared with the local RCMP detachment.
The Town of Stratford has taken a proactive approach to this issue, and has met with local residents and RCMP to discuss traffic safety concerns. It was agreed that the Town and local RCMP would collaborate on a solution; the RCMP committed to increasing their patrols in targeted areas of Stratford, in order to monitor traffic safety. However, Town Council is concerned that the RCMP is not sufficiently addressing the speeding problem in these residential areas and that enforcement is actually lessening, rather than strengthening. Police fines for 2017 are down significantly as compared to those in previous years. In fact, 64% fewer tickets have been issued year-to-date as compared to 2015, and 71% fewer as compared to 2011.
The Town of Stratford will be working with local RCMP to find answers to Council's traffic safety enforcement questions and will ask the RCMP to reconcile the decrease in police fines with the increase in speeding complaints. Stratford Mayor David Dunphy explains, "The Town's ultimate goal is to collaborate with RCMP on an effective and sustainable traffic safety strategy to address Stratford's speeding issues and to ensure resident safety." He continues, "We want our residents to continue, without worry, to enjoy walking, biking, and driving throughout our beautiful community."
Some of the areas of concern identified by residents include the subdivisions of Beacon Hill, Eastern Realties, Marion Drive, and Rosebank Road; and the collector roads of Mason Road and Kinlock Road.
Data on the number of police fines issued in Stratford for the last seven years can be found in the table below:
| Year |
Fines issued -
Jan-June (6 months)
|
| 2017 |
76 |
| 2016 |
171 |
| 2015 |
213 |
| 2014 |
173 |
| 2013 |
152 |
| 2012 |
180 |
| 2011 |
266 |
-30-
For more information please contact:
Erin Clarke, Community Engagement Coordinator
Phone: (902) 569-6921
Email: [email protected]