Safety over speed in Greenbank

May 13, 2008 - 11:07

By Chris Hall

GREENBANK -- More than three years in the works, the designation of a stretch of Hwy. 12 through the village of Greenbank as a 'community safety zone' has paid immediate dividends in just days, says the resident who lead the charge for change.

Since the recent installation and unveiling last Tuesday of the signs along Hwy. 12 that denote the new community safety zone, lead-footed motorists who zip through the small residential cluster have begun to heed the warnings, says Larry Doble.

"I've noticed that the traffic has really slowed down, especially the big trucks because they can't afford the tickets," said Mr. Doble a few days after the markers were posted.

Essentially, the zone means that anyone caught speeding through the designated area -- it runs a few hundred metres north and south of Cragg Road, along Hwy. 12 -- will have their fine doubled. The zone is in effect 24 hours a day, and both the Ontario Provincial Police and Durham police services have pledged to step up their enforcement efforts, added Mr. Doble.

The idea of securing the designation, and the extra form of punishment it brings for law-breakers, began about three years ago. The plan, however, was shifted to the back-burner for some time before being thrust back into the spotlight last summer, in part because of the tragic accident on Hwy. 12 in 2007 that claimed an 11-year-old Greenbank resident.

In an effort to gather support for their request, a radar speed-board was set up alongside Hwy. 12 over a 24-hour period. During that time, 2,200 vehicles sped by, with more than half exceeding the 50 km/h limit. Some were travelling in excess of 100 km/h; most were barreling along more than 20 km/h over the posted limit, said Mr. Doble.

Armed with that information and the support of the community, Mr. Doble embarked on a lengthy, winding bureaucratic journey that saw him bounce throughout various levels of government, and their agencies, as well as the local police services.

"There certainly is a lot of red tape," says Mr. Doble, estimating he spent about 400 hours dealing with the application for the designation. "But if you don't keep at it, it falls to the wayside. I'm the kind of person who likes to see things through to the end."

Standing up for what the community thought was best, continues Mr. Doble, is a great example of the determination of folks in Greenbank.

"It's just proof that if you have a small group of dedicated people who have a goal and they push for it, you can get through the system," he says. "There's a powerful force in this small community."

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