Rather than putting on the brakes and slowly implementing speed radar signs across Perth County, council has decided to speed up the process – approving their installation this year.
That comes with a sizeable price tag – $308,000 – but as Coun. Dean Trentowsky said, “you can’t put a price on safety.”
Staff recommended in a recent report the implementation of signs in 22 locations, and presented two options to council: a phased-in approach or an all-encompassing project to be included in the 2025 budget.
Council, in the interest of their constituents, voted to start implementing them in 2024 as an all-encompassing project instead, with the money coming out of this year’s roads budget.
Another reason to do it all at once, as Coun. Matt Duncan said, was due to inflation. A phased-in approach might increase the total costs by as much as 10 per cent over five years.
Coun. Jim Aitcheson, also the mayor of Perth South, also had concern over how a phased-in approach would be implemented.
St. Pauls, which is in his jurisdiction, was not a priority site in the staff report, but he believes that there is a lot of speeding there and he has seen first hand how effective these signs are.
“It does make a difference,” Aitcheson said. “I’ll be looking out the window there in the morning, watching some news, and you’ll see the brake lights coming on even before the lights are flashing.”
Each sign is solar-powered and displays a vehicle’s speed, flashing when it is above the posted limit. Each sign collects data to be used by county staff for their reports and is shared with law enforcement for data purposes.
Currently, the county uses four rotational speed signs, moving them between suitable spots. They will be used in other areas not identified in the report or if there are any maintenance issues with the permanent signs.
Because two signs would be needed for each site, 44 signs will be purchased in total, costing $7,000 each, including installation costs.
The signs will be installed in Donegal, Brunner, Poole, Harmony, Gadshill, Carthage, Molesworth, Avonton, Rannoch, Hesson, Fullarton, Wartburg, Millbank, Staffa, Newton, Britton, Kurtzville, Cromarty, St. Pauls, Rostock, Brodhagen, and Prospect Hill.
