Stouffville to get 9 new community safety zones in school areas

Fines increased for speeding around schools

Yorkregion.com
September 6, 2018
Simon Martin

Stouffville is going to see a bevy of new community safety zones this year. Council passed a motion to add nine community safety zones that come with increased fines for speeding around the town schools.

There are currently four community safety zones in the town on regional roads. Town staff recommended implementing new safety zones on major town roads next to public schools in town. This includes a section of Main Street, adjacent to and east of Summitview Public School, which has been determined to be an area of speeding.

The new safety zones will be located on: Millard Street for St. Brigid Catholic Elementary School; Glad Park Avenue for St. Mark Catholic Elementary School; Sunset Boulevard for Ecole Catholique Pape-Francois; Hoover Park Drive for Oscar Peterson Public School, Barbara Reid Public School and Stouffville District Secondary School; Greenwood Road for Harry Bowes Public School; Main Street for Summitview Public School; and Reeves Way Boulevard for Wendat Village Public School.

The four community safety zones currently in town are on Ninth Line for Glad Park Public School and for St. Brendan Catholic Elementary School, Aurora Road for Ballantrae Public School and Bloomington Road for Whitchurch Highlands Public School.

The move in Stouffville mirrors policies in other northern six municipalities like East Gwillimbury and Newmarket.

As with other roadway regulations, the effectiveness of the zone designations on driver behaviour and traffic safety is to a large extent a function of the level of enforcement provided, town staff said.

A 2014 York Region Council report summarized the findings of a review completed by the Region to determine the effectiveness of Community Safety Zones in York Region. The results of the speed study analysis found that there is an overall average reduction in driving speeds of approximately 3 km/h within Community Safety Zones.

The town is also adding increased signage on Main Street between Stouffer Street and Tenth Line aimed at reducing speeding. Ward 5 Coun. Iain Lovatt said it’s important for residents to reach out to York Regional Police about the speeding in the area to urge increased enforcement.