There have been mixed reviews on the new speed tables installed on Viseneau Dr. in Orléans. Some residents do not believe they are not doing enough to stop people from speeding.
“They are so low - cars are flying through them,” said resident Mike Mckay.
Another concerned resident, Pat Teolis, said they asked the city to install speed humps instead, but they were told those affect OC Transpo Buses.
“Other routes in Ottawa have gradual speed humps so we’re a bit perplexed by what they’ve done,” Teolis said.
A speed table is designed to raise nearly the entire wheelbase of a vehicle so drivers are forced to slow down. They are roughly the same height as a speed hump or bump, but are several metres longer.
When you ride across a speed table it can be a gentle ride at 40km/h. If you then ride along a speed hump at a reduced 30km/h there is a more dramatic jolt.
The councillor in the area is asking residents to give the speed tables a chance before making judgment.
“Let’s give the speed tables time to actually get a real study of the speeds and the reactions of the behaviour of the drivers now that they’re in place,” said Councillor Jody Mitic.
And it is not all bad reviews.
There are people in the area who believe drivers have slowed down since the speed tables were installed. A thought mimicked by Ottawa Police, who said the highest speed recorded on their last enforcement on Viseneau Dr. was 46 km/h.
Police know that speeding doesn’t always happen in the middle of the day. They said the city could install equipment to monitor the road 24/7.
“It’ll tell us basically the speed the vehicles are travelling, the time an infraction is occurring so we can put proper resources to the problem,” said Sgt. Denis Hull with OPS Traffic Unit.
There also appears to be other traffic calming measures coming, including possible signage and road shortening to slow drivers down.
