Growing traffic dangers worry Third Line East resident
Tuesday, October 09, 2012 by: Rick McGee
Completion of the Third Line extension that links Great Northern Road and People’s Road has created dangerous new traffic problems, says a SooToday.com reader.
Celena Campioni lives in the area and is especially worried about children waiting along the side of the road for buses or crossing the busy roadway to reach the sidewalk on the north side of the Third Line.
”Last week a truck got rammed into as the driver was trying to get into his driveway across from our house,” Campioni noted. “Since then, complaints have been made and a radar speed sign was put up. This morning the sign clocked one car at 79 km/h and another at 84 km/h.”
The speed limit is 50 km/h.
“How do we get the public’s attention and say ‘Slow down?’ ” Campioni wonders.
“The children are catching buses and getting off them, and there are seniors trying to cross the road to get to the sidewalk.”
Naturally, Campioni is most concerned about the safety of her own three children, one of whom has a serious illness.
“My daughter needs to cross the road to get to the sidewalk to catch the bus on her good days as she has leukemia and I am scared after the accident that happened across the street from where my boys were standing to catch their bus! Thank God it wasn't on our side of the road. The safety of my boys standing in the driveway is a big issue.”
She cites another indicator of how unsettling the situation has become.
Mailboxes that have been in the same place for 30 years will be moved next month to better protect mail carriers.
Campioni has conveyed her observations and concerns to city staff.
A written response received last week from Andy Starzomski, manager of Traffic and Communications, Public Works & Transportation, hasn’t helped much.
“We will be installing our radar display boards in the next week or so as we continue to monitor activities along Third Line East,” Starzomski wrote.
“Police Services continues to monitor activity along Third Line East as well.
“As Third Line East is a Class A truck route no traffic calming can be implemented.
“As your home is mid-block between Beaumont and Balsam, the city does not encourage or support mid-block crossings due to the inherent safety risks.”
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Prrrrrrr 10/9/2012 10:09:29 PM ReportCaution lights on the side of the road on timers for when the kids are getting off the bus! Let's face it....there are a lot of racers heading to the hospital now, some drivers might be preoccupied for various reasons...
kodak11 10/9/2012 10:26:58 PM ReportSPEED TRAPS.....every day, and what the heck is "traffic calming"
HeiseFactor 10/9/2012 10:27:15 PM ReportHow about an under cover cop in a PUC bucket with a radar gun and some back up boys in an unmarked car. Speeding tickets need to fly in this town.
I'm In 10/9/2012 10:53:46 PM ReportLay charges on speeders like impaired drivers and take their licence away for a month, the police should let the public to report speeders so they can have a chat with these losers before they kill someone.
Andi 10/10/2012 1:29:20 AM ReportIf child safety is the issue - then the fastest solution (not saying it is the best solution) I would think would be to have the kids picked up in front of their homes instead of across the street. Has anyone brought this to the attention of the bus company and asked them if they would be willing to assist in this potentially dangerous situation? Anyway, it is just a thought.
t55 10/10/2012 7:06:46 AM Reportwe have the same problem on the upper end of pine street and when the road goes straight through to second line west it is going to be worse. We went to city hall meeting for our area and they said there was nothing that could be done. I guess 5 or 6 people need to be killed before they will do anything,
DOMAR 10/10/2012 7:30:58 AM ReportUse to live in the Greenfield subdivision. I know what she is talking about. Sadley there is no fix. People will always speed. Maybe put speedbumps forcing people to slow down. Don't count on speeding tickets to slow people down.
Sam C 10/10/2012 7:40:58 AM ReportI drive along that stretch frequently, and speeding IS a problem. However, it is also a problem right across town.
The problem is the "me first" attitude of too many drivers, and only increased enforcement will make any difference.
Wobbler 10/10/2012 7:52:09 AM ReportAs far as children crossing the road to catch their school busses:
They are equipped with flashing lights and a bar that comes out to aid in protecting children who have to cross the street. Vehicles must stop when these are activated. Children who have to cross the street to catch the bus should be staying on the opposite side of the street from their bus stop and proceed only when the lights and bar have been activated and vehicles have stopped in both directions.
Parents, bus drivers and schools have the responsibility to teach this to children!!
beem 10/10/2012 8:17:18 AM Reportput public cross walks or just add stop signs to the area the add extra protal for one area is to much
Retreaded 10/10/2012 8:18:04 AM Report There many roads where the speed limit is too LOW....which encourages drivers to speed. 3rd and 4th Line should be 60 k. 5th line is 60....why not the others?Old Gaeden River Road and Landslide Road which meets up at 6th line with the highway should be 60 k as well.
patsboy 10/10/2012 8:21:54 AM ReportThird Line East or any other road people go too fast. I live on Korah Road. It's the same thing here. People speeding all the time. People even pass others on the right. I have watched cars pass school buses on the right while the 4 way lights were on. The school bus drivers were fast to react and close the doors. I understand what the people on Third Line East feel.
ducky58 10/10/2012 9:54:00 AM ReportHow about putting up camera's and fine the speeders. I live on Henrietta right across from the school and it's the same thing here.I've seen city buses going way over the speed limit .I call the city bus and been told they don't speed.Well lets get rader here to check no luck yet.This city just dosen't care.
fireball2 10/10/2012 9:54:03 AM Report""" Kids don't get picked up in front of their homes""" certain area's along the road.
Most of the kids on the non side walk side require TO CROSS THE ROAD & walk in the greenfield area!!!!
So tell me this how do kids safely cross the street to the side walk and get safely to where they need to get to catch their bus.
High school kids need to get to greenfield to be picked up !!!!
As for trying to get in our driveways god for bid people slow down... they pass you on the shoulder, or rear end smashed!!!
Ya ok 60 in an area that is full of small children and has people always crossing for the hub trail. Hello
Leftheel 10/10/2012 10:02:54 AM ReportI drive that stretch back and forth to work everyday and there have been several times that I have been passed by someone not wanting to follow behind me while I do the speed limit. We definitely need more Police presence between People's Rd and Great Northern Rd. those radar signs don't deter anything. Maybe there should be a camera that gets activated when the limit is exceeded. Also as a side note, there should be NO PARKING signs along that stretch, it's real nice that it's been widened but it wasn't widened enough to allow parking on the street. There are frequently cars parked on the street and you have to move into the on-coming lane to get past them, it wasn't a problem before they put curbs in. Just another example of poor city planning.
shorty38 10/10/2012 10:07:36 AM ReportSpeeding is a problem everywhere.
More tickets will slow down traffic.
the city needs money, for SSM a 365 day speeding and trafic violation blitz would solve the problem and put more money in the cities coffers. I might get a ticket also.
Sam C 10/10/2012 10:29:59 AM ReportRetreaded... no where is the speed limit TOO LOW. There are streets where people want to drive faster than the posted speed limit, but that is not the same thing.
Just because you want to go faster does not mean you should.
mysticbabs 10/10/2012 10:38:01 AM ReportIts just not there that there is a problem. Its rampant all over this city. There is an extreme lack of consideration, safety and patience in the drivers of sault ste. marie.
You cannot go anywhere, including your own neighborhood, without seeing multiple traffic infractions. We need to see more than one "traffic cop" on the road. Remember those?
Wheels17 10/10/2012 10:57:15 AM ReportTime to call in Robocop and shoot out the tires.
banshee_bob 10/10/2012 11:14:17 AM ReportTry living on Seccond Line... Third Line residents have it easy if you ask me. Yes, some people speed in the posted 50km zone, but at least you don't have dump trucks, international freight carriers, EMS, Garbage trucks, and every a**hole trying to get east or west in a hurry going past your house.
It is 60km/hr on Second Line, and it is common for traffic to be approach 90 in front of my house. At North st, there is a retirement home, and a brand new high school. There is going to be a pedestrian killed here if the speeds dont change.
Mark my words.
Third Line residents, go back to sleep. You have it easy.
Eirelav 10/10/2012 12:00:05 PM ReportFYI we do have dump trucks and transports down Third Line as well. People need to SLOW DOWN!!!! AND DO NOT BEEP your horn at me when I am driving the speed limit of 50KM!! Do not give me the finger and swerve to pass me because I am trying to turn into my driveway!!! Today alone, with the traffic speed monitor, cars were clocked at 71 , 67, 82 and 58. Just sayin'
Mopar 10/10/2012 1:07:22 PM ReportThe people complaining here are probably the same ones who speed in other neighborhoods. There should be no speed limits anywhere except on my street.
mr_jmac 10/10/2012 1:16:38 PM ReportRemember when kids used to walk to school?
It's funny that in all of these "traffic" discussions no one ever mentions walking or bicycling or using a scooter to get to work.
Then there wouldn't be so much traffic and so many people always in a rush driving dangerously.
mr_jmac 10/10/2012 1:17:50 PM ReportRemember when kids used to walk to school?
It's funny that in all of these "traffic" discussions no one ever mentions walking or bicycling or using a scooter to get to work.
Then there wouldn't be so much traffic and so many people always in a rush driving dangerously.
ranger22 10/10/2012 2:58:10 PM ReportDriving is a privilege, if you can't obey the rules of the road then you should have that privilege taken from you.
speed7 10/10/2012 3:33:54 PM ReportIts the shortest route to the hospital from the west end. But I agree about keeping the speeds down. Great Northern Road is atrocious to say the least! I do appreciate having an alternate route to the hospital and it only takes less than 10 min to arrive.
geterdun 10/10/2012 3:40:57 PM Reportprivitize the cops jobs: have privite companies do the job of policing the roads.......Its quite obvious the cops cant do it..........so what are we waiting for PRIVITIZE THEIR JOBS NOW........The cops are the worst offenders of speeding,and road infractions so how can we expect them to do the job???PRIVITIZE it.......
speed7 10/10/2012 3:41:08 PM ReportI've had people pass me only to find I catch up with them at the next few set of lights anyway. What's the point? I have had my share of aggressive drivers behind me . You dont get there any faster really? One day some one will pop up infront of you while passing impatiently and you could kill or injure someone. Is that better than arriving at your destination a couple of minutes late? No its not worth it.
lonza 10/10/2012 3:44:54 PM ReportIn reponse to the issue, we have had our fare share of speeders on Third Line east of Great Northern Road. My daughter has to cross the road to catch the bus, she waits in our driveway until the bus arrives. Once the bus has stopped, lights on and sign out, she looks both ways and then crosses. One morning, doesn't one A$$$ole smack her with his mirror completely ignoring the bus signals. This is not an isolated issue, there has been a lot of motorists ignoring the bus signals on Third Line East, and it is only getting worse. Transports are doing highway speeds as well as cars. Something needs to get done before someone get seriously hurt or killed.
Zing 10/10/2012 5:47:56 PM ReportI just saw a guy get stopped for speeding by an unmarked SUV on 3RD Line East. Somebody heard the call.
Working Man 10/10/2012 5:49:16 PM ReportI'd say, instead of a police car hiding at the bottom of the hill on third line by Birkshire, in some guys property mind you, they should hide somewhere on the other side of Great Northern. That might help.
guestwho 10/10/2012 7:20:22 PM Reportdriving on 3rd line is pretty tame,try Soos` newest drag strip on Korah Rd. where many drive between 80-120 Km.,then they come back minutes later and do it again,that includes warming up tires with burnouts
speed7 10/11/2012 11:17:27 PM Report I agree around that corner on korah road there is a street intersecting called moss rod and I dont know why but the Drivers at the stop sign some how get totally confused and they pass right infront of cars. Its dangerous and it needs to be physically rearranged. The angle of that road is fooling peoples judgment and making drivers turn for some reason. One almost hit me head on we were litterally inches away? That is a dangerous corner. There is a duck crossing and people dont slow down. I have seen people put up their own signs on the road saying to slow down! That's pretty bad. Mabe some one needs to make a phone call to Fata or Manzo on this.
patsboy 10/12/2012 8:49:23 AM ReportI do not blame the City Police Force. They are out there and just can't be every where at once. We could use more Officers out on patrol. I think the city should also increase the fines. Make the fines larger. The larger fines may make people think a little bit more before speeding..
Note: Comments that appear on the site are not the opinion of SooToday.com. Keep discussions civil and on topic. Refrain from obscenity and don't post anything that your grandmother would be ashamed to read. Those who do not abide by these guidelines will have their membership revoked without notice. If you see an abusive post, please click the link beside the post to report it.
