'This is a bit of a racetrack': Speed limit dropping to 60 km/h on stretch of March Road in Kanata
Residents of Kanata North have been petitioning City Council for years to reduce the speed limit on March Road, a major thoroughfare for the area's high-tech cluster.
On Wednesday, Council approved a speed reduction on a stretch of March Road between Carling Avenue and Teron Road from 80 km/h to 60 km/h.
Kanata resident Patricia Taylor says it is about time the city lowers the speed limit here.
"I travel this road frequently, and I pray every time I get in the car that God will get me there safe," Taylor said.
"Some of them go so fast, and I'm usually going 80. But sometimes I'm a bit slower, and cars are jutting in and out."
Many smaller businesses in the area, including Luna Crepes and Cafe and Trudel Home Hardware, support the reduced speed limit.
Ammar Gulen, owner of Luna Crepes and Cafe, said, "It is too fast. Especially in a zone like this."
Mike Minosora, manager of Trudel Home Hardware, said, "For the years that we've been here, this road has been very dangerous. Eighty km/h turns to 100 km/h very quickly, and we've had numerous accidents just leaving this mall."
However, some residents have expressed concerns that reducing the speed limit will not make a significant difference without police enforcement or speed cameras.
Neil Thomson, president of the Kanata Beaverbrook Community Association, says reducing the speed limit is overdue.
"This is essentially a highway because people are doing 20 kilometres over the limit," Thomson said. "You’ve got a lot of merge ramps coming on so people are speeding up and they're not looking to see other vehicles. They're looking to pull in to merge with traffic at full highway speeds. So as someone said, this is a bit of a racetrack."
The latest data shows that there were 26 collisions on this road in 2019.
Kanata resident Brenda Clarke said, "Try and turn left on Teron Road at 9 o'clock at night and you take your life in your hands. Because people are doing 100 or 110. Not even 80."
Many residents are hopeful that the speed reduction will make the road safer for everyone, but some think 60 is too slow.
Bill Dickie says, "It is a residential neighborhood not too far away. So yeah, I’d support going down to 60."
Mike Lianos, another Kanata resident, wants to keep the speed limit at 80 kilometres per hour.
"I personally liked the 80," Lianos said. "Because you know especially around traffic time when people get off work, it just bogs down to begin with."
As for Patricia Taylor, she thinks drivers should be slowing down everywhere.
"I mean they're just in a hurry. The whole world is in a hurry. Ottawa is in a hurry."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Bank of Canada says financial system is stable, but risks remain
The Bank of Canada says the Canadian financial system is stable, but risks remain due to debt servicing costs among households and businesses and stretched valuations of financial assets.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
RateMDs violates privacy of health professionals, class-action lawsuit claims
A lawsuit against RateMDs has been given the go-ahead by a B.C. Supreme Court judge who found the claim that the website violates the privacy rights of medical professionals is not 'bound to fail.'
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.