KAWARTHA LAKES-If you travel on Pigeon Lake Road beware: council has passed a motion to reduce the speed limit to 60km an hour for a stretch of the road.
The current speed limit along the road is 80 km an hour and is experiencing an estimated annual average daily traffic of 3150 vehicles. At Tuesdays meeting councillors passed a motion to reduce the speed for 1.6km from from the Highway 36 junction.
An online petition was submitted to council requesting the reduction of the speed limit on Pigeon Lake Road (CKL Rd 17) from CKL Rd 36 (just south of Bobcaygeon) to Victoria Place approximately 3km south.
A report from staff found going south from CKL Rd 36 for 1.6km, there is some large residential lots, an entrance to a camping site and Fall’s Bay shoreline community. The next 1.5km is swamp/forested lands leading into limited development of residential lots, and ending at a sharp curve at Victoria Place and an entrance to a trailer park.
When considering the full 3km section of Pigeon Lake Road using the TAC Speed Guidelines, the recommended posted speed limit as determined by rural road characteristics is 80 km/hr. This is due primarily to the amount of open space within this road section. Breaking it down into the first 1.6km, the recommended speed limit would be 70 km/hr according to the report.
“Due to the built-up nature off of CKL Rd 36, and the active recreational nature of the roadside environment (entrance to campsite and shoreline community), it would be good engineering judgment to further reduce the recommended speed limit to 60 km/hr for this 1.6km section of Pigeon Lake Road.” stated the report
An advisory speed of 60 km/hr was added to supplement the “sharp curve” warning signs along with chevron alignment signs at the curve near Victoria Place and available collision records indicate a reduction in collisions at this location from 12 reported collision between 2001 and 2010 to zero reported collisions between 2011 and 2018.
The cost estimates for installation of new signage is about $3150.
The bylaw still must be adopted by council.
