NIAGARA REGION
PRESS RELEASE
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It’s back to school time, and Niagara Region is launching Community Safety Zones at two locations on Regional Roads to help improve safety for students and their families travelling to and from school. Community Safety Zones are intended to modify driver behaviour including reducing speed and distracted driving, and improve safety on certain sections of road where public safety is of special concern.
These two locations are the first two Community Safety Zones on Regional Roads:
• St. David's Public School on Regional Rd. 81 (York Rd.) from Queenston Rd. to Concession 3 Rd. in the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake
• Twenty Valley Public School on Regional Rd. 24 (Victoria Ave.) from Frederick Ave. to Regional Rd. 81 (King St.) in the Town of Lincoln.
The Community Safety Zone signs are up now, and the police will be doing an educational campaign from Sept. 3 to 15, followed by enforcement starting the week of Sept. 16, 2019. Community Safety Zones let motorists know they are within a zone where the Highway Traffic Act has been modified to double the legislated penalty provisions for moving violations.
Community Safety Zone signs are posted at the limits of the zone with "Begins" and "Ends" tabs, clearly defining the legal limits of the zone. The rules of the road do not change within the zone, only the penalties for violations are increased.
Site selection includes locations which have safety concerns or complaints near sensitive areas such as schools, retirement homes and daycare centres. The following items help to prioritize site location selections:
• Number of safety and speeding complaints at location
• Percentage of students and families walking to and from school
• Speeding study results and number of violations
• Collision history.
Niagara Region is implementing these first two Community Safety Zone locations (which were approved by Niagara Regional Council in July, 2019) beginning Sept. 2019. Regional staff will report back to Council at the end of 2019 with recommendations on possible additional locations for Community Safety Zones on Regional Roads throughout Niagara.
Niagara Region is working in partnership on Community Safety Zones with Niagara Student Transportation Services, District School Board of Niagara, Niagara Region Public Health and Niagara Regional Police Services.
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