It’s a matter of hurry up and wait for travellers between Midland and Penetanguishene.
At both Penetanguishene and Midland council meetings this week, almost simultaneous to one another, Mayors Doug Leroux and Stewart Strathearn respectively put forward joint notices of motion aimed at making County Road 93 safer between the two towns by looking to reduce the overall speed.
Things weren’t so simple, however.
Currently, Simcoe County owns County Road 93 which is the most direct route between the towns from Main Street in Penetanguishene to the malls at Midland’s east edge. Recent construction on a roundabout was completed with the speed for that safety measure set at 50 kilometres per hour.
Elsewhere, it’s a bit chaotic.
From the angel statues at Penetanguishene’s southern entrance, town speeds increase from a 60 km/h to an 80 kph prior to the roundabout, then reduce to a 50 km/h, before increasing to an 80 km/h and entering Midland down to a 60 km/h speed limit.
“Staff here were under the impression,” said Midland Mayor Strathearn, “that once (work on) the roundabout was done that the entire length from Highway 12 to where it drops to 50 in Penetanguishene would be a 60 kilometre (per hour) speed limit, save for the actual roundabout which would be 50. And that didn’t happen.
“We are requesting that even though the engineers at county have indicated that the MTO traffic warrants don’t call for that necessarily, we would like to see that speed limit reduced to 60.”
Both mayors felt it was a safety concern.
At their respective council meetings, an identical notice of motion was provided which formally asked county to set a consistent 60 kilometres per hour speed limit be implemented from the roundabout to Penetanguishene and the roundabout to Midland.
The notices of motion came at the tail end of late nights for the respective councils.
Penetanguishene Mayor Doug Leroux stumbled a little over the uncommon procedural policy to waive procedure and get council’s immediate approval. Some rules were walked through and Leroux skipped asking for comments or discussion beyond the matter, but it was voted unanimously for approval nonetheless.
However, in Midland, Mayor Stewart Strathearn was cut off by an efficient and impatient Deputy Mayor Mike Ross, who informed council that the notice of motion would be discussed at the next meeting of council scheduled for January 19, 2022.
Council voted in approval of the motion which was carried, and the meeting moved along swiftly.
Prior to the notices of motion, both mayors attended the council meeting for Simcoe County last month where the roundabout completion and return to an 80 kilometre per hour speed limit was approved, although only for a distance of 180 metres north and south of the roundabout.
Speaking with MidlandToday, Strathearn shyly admitted he made an accidental misstep during the November county council meeting when the speed limit adjustments for various county roads was presented.
“I voted to pass the motion as it was presented at county, and then realized that I probably shouldn’t have. So I may have the option of going for what’s called a reconsideration,” Strathearn said, adding he would be seeking clarification on his options.
“Either way, we’ll be pushing the county to reduce it. Doug’s right: it’s a safety matter.”
The next joint council and committee of the whole meeting of Simcoe County is scheduled for January 11.
Archives of Midland council meetings are available on the town’s YouTube channel. Archives of Penetanguishene council meetings are available on the town's YouTube channel.
