Two Ward 3 city councillors are pushing for standardized school zones to improve safety and reduce driver confusion.
At next week's city council meeting, Couns. Angela Caputo and Ron Zagordo will also suggest a city-directed driver education campaign to promote awareness among motorists and pedestrians.
The following is the full text of a resolution they've prepared for Monday's council meeting.
The meeting will be live-streamed on SooToday starting at 5 p.m.
School safety zone review
Mover: Coun. A. Caputo
Seconder: Coun. R. Zagordo
Whereas according to www.saultstemarie.ca there are 42 designated school zones throughout the city with speed limits set at 40 km/hr and are enforced 24/7; and
Whereas in recent years we have seen an increase in vehicles in school zones due to fewer students relying on the school bus for transportation; and
Whereas the statistics from the 2023 CAA School Zone Safety Survey show that 82 per cent of parents report having seen unsafe driving behaviours in school zones, especially speeding, double parking and stopping at undesignated areas; and
Whereas municipalities are responsible for creating safe school zones and many options to creating a safe school zone, so in many cases school zones can be different in different locations; and
Whereas driver education can be difficult to manage and enforcement of these rules is not always possible; and
Whereas creating a standard for all school safety zones within Sault Ste Marie could eliminate driver confusion when entering these zones and create a safer environment for both motorists and pedestrians;
Now therefore be it resolved that staff review all school safety zones in Sault Ste. Marie to create a plan to standardize these zones;
Further it be resolved that a driver education campaign be brought forward to highlight this plan once it is implemented to increase awareness for motorists and pedestrians of safety standards in these zones.