Laurentian Valley approves radar speed sign
The Township of Laurentian Valley is planning on purchasing a roadside speed sign like this one, currently set up on Pembroke St W in Pembroke.
The Township of Laurentian Valley will be getting its own roadside speed sign, similar to those already in place in communities like Pembroke and Petawawa, after a decision was made at council’s only meeting before Christmas, held on Tuesday, Dec. 8.
Councillor Brian Hugli presented a plan as part of his Laurentian Valley community policing committee report that the cost to purchase a new radar sign would be a little over $6,000, and that the committee currently has roughly $4,000 remaining in its 2015 budget.
Since the committee rarely utilizes the entirety of its budget over the course of a normal year, Hugli explained, they were seeking council permission to purchase the equipment now, and carry over the remaining $2,000 onto their 2016 budget.
The mobile, solar-powered signs are not new to the Ottawa Valley, with Petawawa getting theirs six years ago, and Pembroke recently buying one of their own earlier this fall. When Petawawa bought theirs in the spring of 2009, the cost was more than $15,000.
The benefits, according to Hugli, are numerous, and make the initial purchase expense well worth it.
“This is going to be great for the township,” he says. “It’ll help reduce speeding in the township and it’ll reduce accidents. It’ll certainly improve the safety for all our residence, both those driving and walking, and it will cut down on our policing costs if we can cut down on accidents. It will make a safer community for us to live in.
“The results speak for themselves. There’s data from across the country and across North America on how effective they are at reducing speeding and reducing accidents.”
Having now received approval from council, the purchase process and delivery of the new sign should take until some time in January, so Laurentian Valley drivers can expect to see the new sign in place to remind them to check their speed on township roads some time in early 2016.
Courtesy : Ryan Paulsen
