Speeders could slow everyone

2011-06-15 Kelowna Daily Courier:
 Law-abiding drivers could encounter more red lights on Springfield Road with the installation of a new traffic control system that targets speeders.  But Mary-Anne Graham, president of the Rutland Residents Association, says that‘s a small price to pay if it helps reduce the number of drivers who disregard posted limits.  "Speeding on Springfield is a major issue," Graham said Tuesday. "We‘ve had people who‘ve joined our organization just because they were fed up with speeding along there and wanted to see something done about it." "Some drivers treat it like Kelowna‘s autobahn, going 100 clicks or more," Graham said.  In co-operation with the RCMP and ICBC, the City of Kelowna plans to install a new radar-based system on Springfield between Durnin Road and Highway 33 in 2012. When speeders are detected, a signal would be sent to the next set of traffic lights, turning them red. So speeders - and everyone else travelling near them - would be stopped at the next corner.  "I think that‘s a neat idea, if it works," Graham said. "I might be a little frustrated if I was going the speed limit and got a red light just because someone next to me was speeding. But overall, I still think it‘s a good idea." The system is used in other jurisdictions but would be a first for Kelowna, said Randy Cleveland, the city‘s director of infrastructure planning. He acknowledges some people who drive the speed limit may not welcome the prospect of more red lights triggered by speeders.  "But at the end of the day, what we‘re trying to do is make the road safer for everybody," Cleveland said.  Once the system is in place, Cleveland said, drivers will eventually get the message there‘s no point in speeding since that would only lengthen journey times by triggering more red lights.