The District Education Council for Anglophone East is getting their own traffic study done about the speeding danger outside Magnetic Hill School.
Last night they approved the hiring of a former RCMP collision reconstructionist to get the study finished by the end of this school year.
Parent Karen DeGrace says it’s critical safety measures be put into place quickly because in September, there will be new students.
“It’s new to them, you’re going to have new parents possibly coming to the school, but you’re still going to have the big trucks going by at 70 to 80 km/h, or higher,” says DeGrace. “You’ll still have the speed issue, you’ll still have everything that’s going on today.”
DeGrace says she wasn’t sure what to expect last night but was thrilled with the level of support from the DEC.
“This is obviously not their mandate to change speed limits, but I think everybody sees the value in addressing this,” says DeGrace. “And that children’s safety is the issue, and that there’s currently a safety issue that it’s not being properly addressed.”
She adds they are hoping the study will prove a lower speed limit is necessary, and they will then take that evidence to the province.
DeGrace stated “as mentioned before, the fact that this is an issue, the fact that we are trying so hard, why do we have to try so hard for something that seems so obvious?”
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Bill Fraser has repeatedly said three separate reports show lowering the speed limit will in fact endanger lives.
