By Tiffany Goodwein

Former city manager wins battle to increase speed limit along Commonage Road

Nov 14, 2019 | 5:20 AM

A long-standing battle by a former City of Vernon manager to increase the speed limit to 70 km an hour along a portion of Commonage Road has ended in victory.

Lorne Holowachuck, a former city manager of five years, launched a petition two years ago after experiencing the frustration of driving the speed limit along a road he claims to be engineered for much higher. Prior to his time working as the city manager of planning from 2004 to 2009, he spent 29 years as an engineer with the Ministry of Transportation.

“For most of the roadway, it’s designed for 80. I just came up with a compromised design of 70 and basically it could easily been posted at 80 km throughout,” the former Vernon city staffer said.

On Tuesday, council voted 4- 3 in favor of increasing the speed limit along the 3 km stretch of Commonage Road, but not without stating their concerns.

“Increasing the speed now at 70 km is going to allow you to drive 90 km. And you know when you have residents along that stretch who don’t want that speed, I’d rather listen to residents who live on that road, rather than listen to people who use the road to get to point A to point B, so I won’t be supporting this,” Coun. Akbal Mund said.

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Administration also did not recommend supporting the speed increase citing, inadequate sight lines, collision frequency and risk of serious injuries.

In response, Holowachuck argues a slower speed doesn’t necessarily guarantee safety.

“What normally happens when you have a ridiculously low speed zone, it frustrates motorists and they will take risks to pass slow moving vehicles and that’s a higher risk of an accident,” Holowachuk said.

According to ICBC statistics, the portion of the road that is within the city’s jurisdiction saw approximately 15 accidents between 2013 and 2016. Collisions involving deer and vehicles going off the road were among the majority of incidents.

The speed limit change will impact the portion of Commonage Road that begins just after the Bench Row Road intersection and then runs southwest to the City’s boundary.

Speaking on the phone while on vacation in Florida, Holowachuk said he’s thrilled with the city’s decision to up the speed limit.

“I’m glad it happened. I’m just hoping they move as soon as practical,” he said.

But it could be a while before drivers can put their pedal to the medal at 70 km. The city does not have an exact timeline for when the speed limit change will take effect.

by Tiffany Goodwein

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