Scona Rd. speed limit should increase: councillor

One city councillor would like to see the speed limit on Scona Road increase from 50 km/h to 60 km/h.

After nearly four thousand photo radar tickets were handed out in a two month time span, an Edmonton city councillor says the speed limit on Scona Road needs to change.

Ward 9 City Councillor Bryan Anderson says in September and October of 2013, 3,888 tickets were handed out for speeding on Scona Road.

“There wouldn’t be that number of tickets handed out if the speed limit on that particular road wasn’t artificial … artificially set,” said Anderson.

Anderson is now pushing for a bylaw change that would see the speed limit increase from 50 km/h to 60 km/h.

“50 (km/h) is way too slow, it’s got to be 60 (km/h),” said Anderson.

Some Edmonton drivers say the road is notorious for photo radar and support Anderson’s push.

“I think that’s a great idea. Maybe he should think about 70 (km/h) and reimburse me a couple of speeding tickets,” said Duane Makortof.

But not everyone is behind the idea.

Gloria Chalmers lives in the Mill Creek neighbourhood and walks the intersection at Scona Road and Saskatchewan Drive frequently.

“Definitely against (it) because the traffic is so fast,” said Chalmers. “And if you go further up to 89 Avenue and 87 Avenue, as you know, King Edwards Schools is on the other side, we have a seniors’ residence on 90^th and you have a lot of people crossing east-west and it’s unsafe.”

The idea to increase the speed on Scona Road has been discussed before but the city turned it down in 2012 when a number of residents voiced concerns.

Area councillor Ben Henderson says that choice was the right one.

“Quite frankly I think making sure they're safe and can enjoy their neighbourhood is more important than whether people get home five seconds faster,” said Henderson.

Edmonton's transportation committee will review the issue in April.

With files from Ashley Molnar