Dead-end danger

After their son was hit by a car five years ago, Derek and Evelyn Clarke asked to have a children at play warning sign posted on their street.

But the couple says the sign and other efforts over the years have done little to slow down drivers on Nelson's Avenue.

While their son wasn't seriously hurt, the Clarkes are worried about what could happen.

"I know we're always in a hurry, but safety has to be more important," said Mrs. Clarke. "The bottom line is eventually someone is going to be seriously injured or killed."

Nelson's Avenue is a dead-end side street off Port aux Basques' Main Street. It's a narrow lane, barely wide enough for two vehicles to meet, and has a sharp turnabout one-third of the way up. With limited parking available in the area, cars are often parked on the sides of the road.

The Clarkes live just past the turn and Mr. Clarke says what they sometimes see out their kitchen window would frighten anyone.

Vehicles often come around the turn on the wrong side of the road because of the sharp angle and fast speed. Speeds are sometimes well above the 30 kilometres per hour limit.

Mrs. Clarke admitted that their son didn't look before he crossed the street on the day he was hit, but added the car was travelling too fast to stop when the driver did see him.

She said parents can tell their children about road safety, but children are still going to do some things without thinking. Mrs. Clarke believes it's up to drivers to be responsible as well.

She added that there are many seniors who regularly walk along the road and cars going too fast are a danger to them as well.

The speeds are also often the cause of some scrapes and dings to vehicles on the street. The Clarkes said that's one issue, but the pos-

sibility of someone being serious hurt is far more important.

The Clarkes say the worst time is from after school until later in the evening. The offenders are a mix of young and more seasoned drivers, some who live in the area and others who do not.

"You don't want to make bad friends or upset your neighbours [by complaining]," said Mrs. Clarke, "but if it comes to upsetting someone or burying a child, I'd rather upset someone."

Mr. Clarke said he sometimes drives too fast as well, but on the highway.

"I'm not a saint and I was young once, but town is different than the highway," he said.

Mrs. Clarke that said the change from a 50 km/h zone just up the main road can make going 20 or 30 km/h on a side street feel like a driver is stopped. She questioned if drivers even realize how fast they are going.

Town discussion

The Clarkes wrote a letter to the town council outlining their concerns and asking for the speed limit to be reduced. Councillors discussed the problem at a meeting earlier this month.

Mayor Brian Button said he was a little surprised that people were able to speed in the area given the congestion of traffic often present on the street.

Deputy Mayor Chester Coffin said he had visited the street earlier in the day and found navigating between the cars parked along the sides of the road challenging.

Councillor Rick Farrell suggested the speed limit be dropped from 30 km/h to 20 km/h.

"I went up there the other day doing 30 km/h and I had to slow down to stay on my side of the road," he said.

Town Manager Melvin Keeping said without enforcement, changing the speed limit would have little effect. He suggested banning parking on one or both sides of the road.

Mayor Button said that might cause significant issues as there is so little parking available on the street.

Coun. Farrell suggested the speed limit be dropped as a first measure and, if that doesn't work, the council look again at a parking ban.

"The residents are complaining and this shows that we're there to support them," he said.

The motion to reduce the speed limit to 20 km/h and ask the police to enforce the new regulation passed unanimously.

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