Town of Olds council approved proposed changes to three speed zones at its regular council meeting on Feb. 13.
The school zones on 54 Street and 57 Avenue will be closed, with the speed limit changing from 30 km/h to 50 km/h.
“I do support that because we have crossing guards, flashing lights and sidewalks there,” said Coun. Mary Jane Harper.
“That makes sense.”
In the western part of the town, the speed limit on Highway 27 will be raised from 50 km/h to 60 km/h east to 57 Avenue.
Mayor Judy Dahl and Coun. Debbie Bennett Dubak asked town administration about the possibility to install “NEW” signage to indicate the changed speed zones. Both elected officials mentioned the fact that drivers still slow down by the Craig's Corner Memorial, which is at the corner of Highway 27 and 48 Avenue, even though it is not a reduced speed zone anymore.
“The thing that happened with the Craig's Corner (new speed zone) was that there never was a new sign put up so that people realize that there is a change,” said Bennett Dubak.
“I am hoping that we have money to invest in those signs.”
The process to review and change speed zones was started in November 2009. The town consulted with the Olds RCMP detachment, Alberta Sheriffs, Alberta Transportation and the public at an open house in January 2010. It asked the public for input one last time before Christmas, inviting residents to submit comments and feedback regarding the proposed speed zone changes.
“Pretty much all of the feedback was positive,” said Brian Patton, Town of Olds engineering technologist.
The next step in the process will be to send the town's new speed zones map to Alberta Transportation to get it approved.
