Several residents in Charing Cross are coming together in hopes of eliminating the number of high-speed drivers passing through the community.
A petition has been created to push the speed limit transition zone near Charing Cross so drivers travelling at high speeds have more time to adapt to the lower speeds of the residential zone.
The petition was created by resident Keith Webster who lives on Middle Line. He said he's dealt with speeding concerns on the road for several years.
The issue, according to Webster, is that the transition from 90 km/h zone to a 60 km/h residential zone happens as soon as you hit Charing Cross. He said he believes the "buffer zone" should be pushed around 400 metres further out so that vehicles will be slowed down before they enter the town. In addition, traffic going the opposite way through Charing Cross see the 90 km/h sign and start speeding up while they are still in the community.
"It's turned into like a race track out here and they're speeding up," said Webster. "Basically what we want, what we're petitioning for, is to get the speed limits moved out farther so this 90 clicks sign is not in view and people won't gun it while they're in a residential area."
Webster said he sees a variety of vehicles driving through the town, from people speeding on their way to work to transport trucks rattling the houses. He said by the time drivers slow down for the residential zone it's too late they are already well through the community, while others simply ignore the speed limit change completely.
He said besides the noise from high-speed vehicles, he's worried for residents' safety and said there are a number of young children who live on the stretch of road. Although no major injuries or accidents have occurred on the road, Webster has had a few close calls of his own.
"I pulled into my driveway here just before the 90 sign and I had a transport come up on me. He literally couldn't see my tail lights. I put my turn signal on three driveways back before mine and he had to literally hit the binders to try and stop or he would have ran right up the back end of me," he said.
Webster has gotten about 25 out of around 40 households in the area to sign the petition. He is working with Ward 2 Councillor Trevor Thompson to help bring some attention to the issue.
Thompson said the transition from high-speed roads to residential zones is a common concern for smaller rural communities across Chatham-Kent.
"Speed limits are an issue across the municipality, for better or for worse. Basically what it seems to come down to, and I understand it, residents want people to go slower in front of their homes and drivers want to be able to move quickly across the municipality," Thompson said. "There's always that push and pull there."
Thompson said besides pushing to change the speed limit transition zone, he also believes more police enforcement on Middle Line and similar roadways would help improve the situation. He said he also believes educating drivers on the importance of slowing down in residential areas is vital for safety.
"I think when you live somewhere, you're far more sensitive to it. I think that's part of the issue too," explained Thompson. "When you're driving through a town like Charing Cross, you're not really paying that much attention to it because you don't live there. But then when you get to your town and you're sitting on your front step, then you really notice how the traffic's moving."
Webster's concerns are currently being reviewed by the municipality and the Chatham-Kent Police Service. According to Thompson, there is also a comprehensive traffic study being done by the municipality that will look at, among other things, speed limits across Chatham-Kent. He said it should be completed within the next year.
