Central Street

The City also needs a Neighbourhood Traffic Plan, which will help reduce vehicle speeds and will minimize conflicts. We need to invest in more Speed Display Boards, Road Watch Programs (reporting unsafe drivers), and More Watch for Children Signs Playing signs and cross walk improvements.

Summerside may lower Central Street speed limit
MIKE CARSON
The Journal Pioneer
SUMMERSIDE — Motorists are being advised to prepare for a major change in the speed limit on north Central Street.The city’s police committee has recommended that council approve replacing the 70 km/h speed limit to 50 km/h on the stretch of Central Street leading from Route 2 to the Pope Road intersection.Councillor Cory Thomas, chairman of the police committee, said the committee received a petition from residents in the area calling for the speed reduction and the installation of sidewalks along that stretch or roadway.Thomas said this change will bring Central Street in line with the city’s other northern entrance, Granville Street.“It’s 50 km/h currently on Granville Street which is the next street over and for some reason Central Street is 70 km/h and the police department is recommending that we reduce the speed limit there to 50 km/h,” Thomas said.Thomas said councillors at the committee meeting seemed to be in favour of the plan.“The police committee comprised of the mayor (Basil Stewart) and Coun. (Garth) Lyle seemed to be in favour of that as well. That’s the first step in making that street safer. If it goes through, the signs will be changed the next day.”He’ll bring the speed reduction motion to councillors at their May 17 meeting.The issue of sidewalks along Central Street didn’t come up before the police committee, Tuesday night. Thomas said that issue will go before the technical services committee for review and response.Thomas said the police have stepped up patrols in the area to help reduce the amount of speeding along the street.While the city does have speed dollies - flashing signs telling motorists how fast they are going - Thomas wants permanent electronic speed signs at all of the entrances to the city.“A lot of times people who are speeding are just not paying attention,” he said. “It’s a good reminder to slow down. The RCMP brought it to my attention that those (electronic signs) do work. I would eventually like to see permanent ones on Read Drive, at the entrance to the city, Water Street East, South Drive, Central Street, all the main entrances. If we’re going to reduce speeding we have to come up with some creative ways to do that. We can’t keep doing what we always did because we’re just going to get the same results.”Thomas said there is also a need to look at neighbourhood traffic plans to reduce speeding within the city and make streets safer for everyone. Along with controlling speed this would also involve better crosswalk markings.“This is going to take some time to do, but I really think this needs to be done,” Thomas said. “We just can’t be planning ad hoc. I think we need to take a progressive approach to this.”