Timmins residents driven mad by speeding along rural detour route
Drivers along Laforest Road were behaving with CTV News looking on, but residents like Nicole Charbonneau say that when the cameras are off, speeders are rampant.
Charbonneau said she and her husband, who have lived in the area for almost 45 years, have grown frustrated with detouring traffic from connecting link construction in the last few years.
“Sometimes, I think I want to move because it’s too busy,” said Charbonneau.
“We lived in the country for peace and quiet. We used to be able to sit down outside, in our gazebo, and enjoy the tranquility. That’s gone, for sure.”
Charbonneau said the rumble of heavy trucks barrelling down the roadway causes light fixtures in her home to shake and the strong vibrations jolt her awake at night.
The Timmins Police Service’s community liaison officer, Marc Depatie, said this is one of many speeding-prone areas being looked at.
“It is a well-used artery, in terms of accessing the airport and other industrial sites, but there has to be some common ground here, between motorists who use this roadway and for them to be respectful of the speed limit,” said Depatie.
The police service’s traffic unit recommended dropping the speed limit for Laforest Road to as low as 60 km/h from 80 km/h, to balance safety and travel time.
Drivers along Laforest Road were behaving with CTV News looking on, but residents like Nicole Charbonneau say that when the cameras are off, speeders are rampant. (Photo from video)
City councillor Lorne Feldman wants to explore installing a speed camera.
“Reducing speed and putting up signs to act as a deterrent, really aren’t making the impact we want,” Feldman said.
“I see photo radar as potentially an option.”
Police are not taking a position on the matter, Depatie said, but noted that some municipalities have made effective use of the technology.
It can neglect the human element of law enforcement, he said, where an officer can use discretion if a driver is speeding due to an emergency.
“Is the problem that significant that is merits that type of response,” is the question Depatie said city council needs to consider.
o Download our app to get local alerts on your device
o Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Which is why Timmins police stationed a radar speed sign on Laforest Road to collect data on its real traffic conditions for council.
Photo radar is a tool often brought up in response to speeding, but hasn’t been implemented in the northeast.
Feldman hopes to discuss it further at the next council meeting.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.