Some noticeable changes are coming for motorists in and around school zones and playgrounds in Battleford.
Town council passed a Playground and School Safety Bylaw at their meeting Monday.
The main change will be a reduction in speed from 40 km/h to 30 km/h on streets at all parks, playgrounds and school zones in the town limits. Those include ACT Park, Battleford Springs subdivision playground, Battleford West subdivision playground, Kinsmen Park on 17th Street West, Battleford Central School on 25th Street West, Heritage Christian School on 20th Street West and St. Vital Catholic School on 23rd Street West.
On 23rd Street between 2nd Avenue West and 3rd Avenue West, there will be a “bus only” zone between the hours of 8 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, from Sept. 1 to June 30.
Also, a parent pick up/drop off zone will be created on the west side of 2nd Avenue West between 23rd Street and 25th Street for Battleford Central School.
Also in the bylaw, a one-way street will be created from west to east on 25th Street from 3rd Avenue West to 2nd Avenue West. Until now, the street has been open to two-way traffic.
Finally, the bylaw creates “residential permit parking only” year round on the north side of the one-way portion of 25th Street.
Normally, these sorts of changes would have been addressed by new provisions in the Traffic Bylaw, but that bylaw is currently undergoing revision and will not be ready in time for the school year.
As a result, the decision was made to bring in a Playground and School Safety Bylaw incorporating these changes.
Jenna Stusek of the Town of Battleford’s planning department told council that once the current traffic bylaw is ready, all these changes will be incorporated into the traffic bylaw and the Playground and School Safety Bylaw will be repealed.
The new bylaw passed in three readings by 5-0 votes. As Councillor Doug Laing explained Monday night, the reason the new bylaw was introduced and passed in one meeting was because “school starts right away.”
“We want to get those signs up and those speed limits dropped, which is one of the most important things, I think anyways, to get that speed limit down,” said Laing.
The issue had been on the Town’s radar for a while. Earlier this year, town officials had spoken to students at St. Vital School and with officials at Living Sky School Division on safety issues and received input.
Councillor Kevin Russell, who served as deputy mayor at the meeting, explained to reporters that safety was the prime concern.
“Our first initiative ... is student safety, and parent safety,” said Russell.
The main impact will be the reduced speed at all schools and playgrounds. Russell acknowledged there has been high traffic at those locations.
The reduced speed limit of 30 km/h in school zones brings Battleford in line with other Saskatchewan communities such as North Battleford and Saskatoon, where reduced speeds have been in place for some time.
“We just adapted with everybody else to have the 30 km/h speed limit,” said Russell. “Slower is better. Anything that makes the children safer, we believe, is the best part of the whole initiative.”
The 30 km/h signs are on order now, and should go up as soon as those arrive.
Now the changes are approved, the intention is for the public safety officer to be out in the community implementing the changes. Fines are not in place yet, and Russell indicated to reporters the immediate priority will be getting the information out to people and educating people.
“It will be a learning curve for everybody,” said Russell.
Russell adds that anyone with questions or concerns is encouraged to contact the Town of Battleford.
