With roadwork happening in their area, some parents in Cumberland want the Village to put in a speed bump.
The reason is, not surprisingly, because of drivers moving at excessive speeds, especially with a school nearby, says parent Pamela Tessman.
There is road work currently happening along Egremont Road, between Ulverston and Windermere avenues, so she thinks the time is right to put in something as an impediment to speeding.
“It kind of is an issue all over Cumberland,” she says. ‘Because we live in this particular area that’s having the construction done, we thought we could ask for speed bumps to be placed.”
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Tessman has seen conversations on social media about speed in areas such as Cumberland Village Park and routes such as Kendal Avenue and Rydal Avenue.
“Those are really bad places too,” she says.
She contacted the Village, sending a letter in late August, but does not think there is interest in speed bumps as a deterrent right now.
“It doesn’t sound too positive at this point from the Village,” she says. “I think they maybe want to do more studies and see what the actual speeds are…. They likely want to keep it fair and try and figure out maybe a system for the entire village.”
There are different methods for actual roads than in traditional speed bump zones like parking lots. Speed “humps” are similar and typically used on regular roads, as opposed to parking lots or driveways, as they are considered “less aggressive” – in other words, designed to slow traffic to slightly higher speeds than speed bumps.
The use of humps and bumps is not without critics. A cursory search on the Internet will turn up studies to support differing points of view. While some seem the methods as a way to slow drivers down, others don’t see them as effective. Mayor Leslie Baird emphasized the latter point of view, saying speed bumps will not solve the issue. “It’s people’s driving habits that is the issue,” she says. “It’s the number one complaint I get.”
The solution, she adds, is for people to educate themselves, learn to drive properly and obey the traffic laws.
The Village is arranging a public meeting for Sept. 16 in council chambers at 7 p.m. to look at issues around driving in the community. The RCMP and others will be speaking about these topics.
“Everyone that has an issue with parking or traffic in the village should attend,” Baird says.
In the meantime, Tessman would like to see something, such as driver speed boards, used to communicate with motorists in Cumberland about the need to drive more slowly through residential neighbourhoods.
“We’d really like to see something,” she says. “It doesn’t seem to be on the forefront…. There’s a lot of kids in the village and it’s growing at a rapid rate. We’d just like to make sure that it’s kept safe.”
mike.chouinard@comoxvalleyrecord.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
