Dropping the limit Speed zone changes through Ferndale- ELIZABETH MACDONALD The Charter

The legal speed limit through Ferndale has changed from 50 kilometres an hour to 40, following a petition to government from area residents.

Motorists traveling through Ferndale need to slow down.

At least that's what residents in Ferndale believe, so much so that they petitioned government to lower the speed limit through that section of roadway, known for twisting turns, blind hills, lots of children and homes built close to the road.

Residents were seeking a drop from 50 kilometres an hour to 30 kilometres an hour. What they got was a compromise - a new speed limit of 40.

One resident who didn't want to be named said a petition went around the community and absolutely everyone signed it. Then it was handed to the Placentia-St. Mary's MHA at the time, Fabian Manning. And then they waited.

The new speed limit signs went up earlier this month but have already been the source of a problem. Placentia-Whitbourne RCMP said one of the two new speed limit signs in Ferndale had been cut down by a vandal or vandals, leaving the one near the post office still intact.

Concerned citizens say the speed limit needed to be lowered because motorists are often traveling too fast through the area and it is feared someone will get hurt. Now that they got the limit lowered, and one of the new signs was deliberately removed, people are unsure why that is.

"There have been a lot of people speeding through there," said one resident. "(We wanted this change) because of the speeding and the children crossing the road and the houses close to the road. It's not only a few, it's the whole area here. Even in the morning when the kids are going to school, and they are going across the street to get the bus, there are people going to work and they are in a mad hurry. That's why we went about the procedure to try and get a reduction in speed. It was a while ago and it is only now that someone finally listened.

"The 40 signs went up about (three) weeks ago," the resident continued. "Very quickly someone came along and went on with it. Yes (we are concerned about that). Why saw down the sign? It's something that as a community we wanted, we asked for it, we got 40 instead of 30, which we were satisfied with. You know, it's better than 50, and the biggest concern is for our children and our old people going back and forth across the road."

And although the speed has officially been lowered, without signage on both ends of Ferndale, it will take longer for people to notice the change.

That's why police and residents of the area want the word to get out about the change - to help raise awareness about the new lowered speed limit, and to make people aware of why the change was needed.

"The speed has been lowered. We lost the sign. We are going to go after highways now and explain to them what happened and see if they will put another one back there," said the Ferndale resident. "Hopefully the same thing won't happen."

editor@thecharter.ca