Rossland City Council is taking action to address concerns about the noise, speed, and exhaust resulting from heavy truck traffic on Highway 3B.
During the October 21 Rossland City Council meeting, a member of the public approached council to ask the city to consider contacting the Ministry of Transportation to advocate for speed limit changes and additional signage on the highway before it connects with Columbia Ave.
Mayor Andy Morel says the city has engaged with the Ministry many times on the issue, specifically advocating for safety measures regarding speed through the downtown core.
“We certainly have talked with the Ministry before about reduced speed limits through our community, and we’ll bring that issue up as many times as necessary. The use of retarder or engine brakes is also a problem coming into the community from the west side of the highway, which descends down a very steep, long grade. Retarder engine brakes are extremely annoying as the truck traffic is 24/7.”
Currently, the highway’s speed limit switches to 50 km/h once it reaches Columbia Ave, while the speed limit on every other city street is set at 30 km/h.
Morel says the Ministry has been reluctant to agree to the many requests council has submitted seeking a reduction in the speed limit; however, it did install a speed reader sign on the west side of town to encourage motorists to recognize how fast they are going so they can slow down.
He adds that the city is approaching the issue from a more strategic standpoint and asks residents to contact the RCMP with their concerns to help the city demonstrate the urgency and pressure on local resources.
“The RCMP always has trouble with staffing and other priorities, but for our community, traffic control has been a priority for a long time. I tell citizens all the time to call the RCMP. Hopefully, we can get some traction on changes that support greater safety and improve air quality; you know, safety being the big issue, along with noise concerns as well.”
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