OLDS — A local resident came to council’s policies and priorities meeting earlier this month expressing concern and frustration about noisy vehicles speeding along 57th Avenue.
Val Warnock and her husband live on Destiny Way, just west of 57th Avenue and south of 60th Street.
She said they and their neighbours regularly hear vehicles that appear to be speeding and in many cases, appear to have unsecured loads or are mechanically unsound.
She suspects they’re on their way to the landfill, but because some loads aren’t secured well, Warnock suspects there’s likely litter along the highway.
“I can’t measure their speed, but I’ve been around a few years and I know when someone’s doing 50 kilometres per hour or not,” she said.
“And I think a lot of people are thinking that because there’s beautiful trees and an open space directly opposite on the east side of 57th, I believe it’s just a mental thing that ‘OK, we’re out in the country, let’s give it.’
Warnock said she’s raised the matter several times with town officials but the problem persists.
“My ultimate, and I feel reasonable, goal is to enforce residential speeds along 57th Avenue south of 60th Street, particularly as posted, while eliminating highway speeds and excessive traffic noise that seem to have become the norm along this strip,” she said.
“If maybe fresh eyes could look at this again.”
Protective services director Justin Andrew said there’s “no denying” that some people do drive at excessive speeds along 57th Avenue, while on the other hand, others drive surprisingly slowly there, well below the speed limit.
He said the Town of Olds is researching the best way to deal with the issue by examining how other communities are tackling it.
“We are working right now to put that all together in a big picture so that we can present to council some viable options to address the situation, not just in your particular location, but in multiple ones at the same time," said Andrew.
“And we are definitely looking at what some other communities of similar and larger sizes have done to do that and the successes they’ve had with that."
Council voted to accept Warnock’s presentation as information.
