Get ready to gear down a little earlier heading into South Porcupine.
The speed limit on Highway 101 East is shifting and will soon start before the Bruce Avenue wye. Timmins council approved the change at its meeting yesterday (March 22).
Right now, the eastbound speed limit is 80 km/h until just after the Bruce Avenue wye when it drops to 70 km/h. Shortly after it drops again to 50 km/h just before The Beer Store.
The change will see the speed limit drop to 70 km/h before the wye and drop to 50 km/h at Porcupine Creek.
Speeding on the stretch of road was brought to director of growth and infrastructure Pat Seguin's attention a while back.
The Timmins Police Services Board talked about the problem area in 2020. At that time, members suggested the change now being implemented.
Last year, a solar-powered radar sign was installed on an existing pole on Highway 101. It shows drivers how fast they are travelling and, if necessary, to slow down.
About 90 per cent of vehicles entering the community near Legion Drive are speeding, according to the city report.
“It’s in a curve and I find that the motorists are seeing it at the last minute and kind of hitting the brakes. It’s effective to slow them down, but we wanted to align it so that it’s on a straight stretch so you could see it when you come off the Bruce wye,” said Seguin.
Timmins Mayor George Pirie doesn't think there's been enough enforcement across Harold Avenue, which is what Highway 101 turns into in South Porcupine.
While the radar showing drivers their speed has been effective, in the last few days Pirie said drivers are just going right by.
“Without enforcement in place, and this is a direct ask to TPS, enforce the speed limits right now through that zone. They’re not in that zone enough, they’re not there and we have to have the enforcement for those speed limits,” he said.
Seguin said the radar unit that the city installed logs the highest speed, number of people speeding and when they're speeding. That information can be shared with the police.
Coun. Cory Robin called for a better solution than changing the speed limit.
“The road itself is designed for 80 so you’re trying to change the habits of motorists by moving the sign. I think the sign is going to be very easily ignored and the only people who are really going to benefit from that is going to be the guys cutting the tickets for the speeding,” he said.
The speed limit heading west out of South Porcupine through Finn Town was also part of the conversation.
“It’s a more difficult thing to try to slow people down when you’re entering a higher speed. You’re going into four lanes, you’re getting into that faster area,” said Seguin.
The city report says all of the materials are in stock and the only cost is the labour to install signs.
