Gravenhurst council has voted to move forward with a request to the District of Muskoka to install an electronic speed sign on Doe Lake Road.
Coun. Randy Jorgensen, who tabled the motion, said that it arose from complaints by constituents about speeding. “This is really asking for more speed control on Doe Lake Road,” said Jorgensen.
The suggested location for the sign on Doe Lake Road is heading eastward, before the ‘V’ approaching Housey’s Rapids Road.
Speeding concerns along this road are not new and measures have been implemented before. “If you’re familiar with it, along Doe Lake Road, we had an electronic screen sign at one time that was removed with a chainsaw, never to be seen again,” explained Jorgensen.
Coun. Sandy Cairns asked if in addition to the signs, if there was a way to take photographs of speeding vehicles, “such as speed cameras that are on stoplights now that can identify those that are speeding…is that a possibility at some point?”
Director Andrew Stacey responded that the current signs do not take photos and cannot be converted, “however they do collect some data, that we could pass on to the authorities to enforce the Highway Patrol Act, but the ones we have now don’t do photo radar and then issue a ticket.”
This type of electronic speed sign only registers how fast an approaching vehicle is going and flashes the driver’s speed in green, yellow or red numbers.
Cairns added that when you are coming into Gravenhurst from Bracebridge on Bethune Drive, one of these electronic speed signs is in use. “And they work, because most people they do actually slow down and wait for the sign to turn green…and then they come into town a lot slower. I just certainly hope that this one doesn’t disappear and it does some good and we stay in contact with the OPP, because there is definitely an issue on Doe Lake Road when driving and riding a bike,” said Cairns.
Mayor Heidi Lorenz said that passing this motion will give the District an opportunity to have a look at this situation. The resolution passed unanimously.
The next Committee of the Whole meeting will be on Oct. 17 at 3p.m. and can be viewed on the Town’s YouTube channel.
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