GORE BAY—Speeders beware! There will be a new reduced maximum speed limit in the Town of Gore Bay later this week.
“It’s all about community safety,” stated Gore Bay Mayor Ron Lane to the new speed reduction.
“Effective Friday, May 17, the town is implementing reduced speed limits to enhance safety. Be aware of new limits posted throughout town,” the town states in a press release. “The speed limit will be reduced to 40 kilometres per hour throughout the entire Town of Gore Bay unless it is otherwise posted. Drive responsibly and prioritize the well-being of our community.”
“Obviously this is being done as a community safety issue, and we had brought this up at a council meeting last fall, in discussing how many cases there are of drivers speeding through town,” said Mayor Lane.
“We just can’t have people driving the speeds some have been travelling in the downtown and residential areas,” said Mayor Lane. “And the new speed limit will bring us in line with a lot of other municipalities that have reduced their speed limits from 50 kilometres to 40, for safety reasons. NEMI (Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands) has been 40 kilometres throughout the town for years.”
Mayor Lane noted that in the downtown area the maximum speed limit is 35 kilometres per hour, which will remain in place. He explained the decreased speed limits will be 40 kmh when vehicles enter the town off the highway at both entrances and will be 40 unless posted otherwise.
“The local police are on board with this and there will be additional police presence on the weekend and hopefully at other times as well,” said Mayor Lane. “They may give warnings at the start, but they will have to issue tickets to let everyone know we are serious.”
Last November town council had passed a by-law to authorize the reduced speed limit. “Now therefore the council of the Corporation of the Town of Gore Bay enacts as follows: that the speed limit for motor vehicles travelling on the highways be reduced to 40 kilometres per hour throughout the entire Town of Gore Bay unless otherwise posted and that signs be erected in a conspicuous place at each approach to this section of highway identifying the newly posted speed limit.”
