Editorial
There's no such thing as the perfect speed limit

There were a number of conflicting points made around the Township council table last Monday night concerning what the appropriate speed limits are for the 11th Concession.

But most of the comments, regardless of which side of the issue they were coming from, made a lot of sense. That points to the real problem of an issue like this, namely how does one arrive at a speed limit that's appropriate?

One of the problems, of course is the road is an attractive one to drive since it received its paved surface a couple of years ago. That mens it's not a bad alternative to Highway 27 or even Highway 400. That is naturally going to increase traffic volumes, and speeds are likely to follow the trend.

Despit that, we would be surprised to hear any calls to get rid of the hard surface.

Mayor Margaret Black advocated referring the issue to the Operations department, which is working on a comprehensive report on speeds on roads throughout King. Operations staff was suggesting a speed limit along the 11th between King Road and Highway 9 of 70 km-h (with the exception of a small curvy portion just south of the 15th Sideroad). Black expressed reservations about setting the limit at 60 (which is what eventually happened). "It's not going to be enforceable," she declared.

Councillor Linda Pabst was of a different (and equally reasonable) view, as she stuck up for the requests of constituents and urged the limit be set at 60. She even offered to consume an unusual repast if her position was proven wrong. "These people have waited long time for this," she said.

Councillor Jeff Laidlaw didn't lean to any one side, evidently prepared to go along with what the prevailing mood was. But he did indicate that he didn't want to see a limit set and then changed again in the near future. "I hate playing this flip-flop game with the speed limits," he remarked.

The problem with this discussion is that while there was a lot of right thinking coming from people their hearts clearly in the right place, it's next to impossible to come up with the right limit, especially one that will take in the bulk of a roughly 13-kilometres stretch, complete with flat portions and hilly terrain. And while Laidlaw's position was understandable, we believe his fears are going to be realized.

A limit of 60 km-h on the 11th is going to satisfy a number of people, including some local residents who requested it. But we anticipate there are eventually going to be people who grumble that it's too low, and there will be more violations, followed by demands for more enforcement from a police service that only has so much time to devote to one rural road in the eastern portion of York Region. Eventually, there will be some motorists who want it increased.

The reality is that without enforcement, people are likely to set their own speed limits. We have to hope they are appropriate.