The speed limit for the Highway 12 bypass will remain unchanged after the Orillia Police Services Board (OPSB) reached a dead end on an attempt to lower the speed limit.
The board unanimously decided at its meeting Tuesday that it would not pursue any further action in this regard. The speed limit on that stretch of highway is 80 km/hr.
OPSB chair and Mayor Steve Clarke, said he thought it was best to stand pat with the minimal changes that had already been put in place, since both city staff and the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) have concluded that a speed limit reduction would not help on the busy stretch of two-lane highway between Highway 11 and Atherley Road.
“The MTO are the definitive authority on this," conceded the mayor.
Clarke said some changes have already been made to help slow down traffic. For example, he said some of the crossing times (at lights) were adjusted, some signage was added to the school zones, and crossing guards have now been given new bright yellow apparel.
Coun. Rob Kloostra, an OPSB member, asked that staff be given direction to look into installing signage near Gill Street to alert drivers of the presence of the fire station.
“If there's a sign that says there's a fire department up ahead, it might act as a traffic calming measure,” he said.
An OPSB board member made the request for an operation review of the bypass a few years ago. After council approved the request, the MTO was engaged.
The MTO conducted a comprehensive review of the stretch of Highway 12 from Highway 11 to Atherley Road.
As a result of the study, the MTO concluded it did not support a speed reduction along Highway 12 due to several factors.
The letter said that the highway describes the rodway as a controlled access with a rural cross-section and has a design speed of 100 km/hr. Artificially reducing the speed limit could result in higher speed violations which can cause safety concerns, the MTO warned.
It further said that reducing the speed would not increase safety for pedestrians crossing at Gill Street and Forest Avenue.
The report further recommended that crossing guards be given whistles to alert drivers at the crosswalks, and that ladder pavement markings be used to enhance visibility at intersections.
The MTO also recommended police enforcement to address vehicles turning onto Highway 12, in conflict with crossing guards. This is not permitted according to the new rules of the road at pedestrian crossovers, school crossings, and crosswalks when a crossing guard is present.
