Changing speed limit in Lethbridge frustrates drivers

Winter driving conditions can be hard enough to navigate, but for some drivers on Whoop-up Drive in Lethbridge, it’s the changing speed limit that’s giving them a headache.

The city will lower the speed from 90km/h to 60km/h when there are icy and snowy conditions.

Rihanna Barron is one of many who posted concerns online.

“Why can’t we just solve this by lowering it and keeping it that way year round. Then we use common sense… When it’s icy, yes we slow down a little more,” she said.

READ MORE: Lethbridge morning rush sees 6 collisions in one place on Whoop-Up Drive

But not everyone wants to see the speed permanently lowered. Brad Janke uses Whoop-up daily and said the city should always keep it at 90km/h, and drivers should use common sense.

“When do we put the onus on the drivers, When (will) we say, ‘yes I will drive with road conditions, I will know when (not) to follow too closely, and (notice) when I’m going too fast,'” Janke said.

READ MORE: 2 major Lethbridge highways to start construction in 2017

James Nichols, transportation operations coordinator for the City of Lethbridge, said it’s all about safety and there are no plans to change what they’re doing.

“We want to make sure our motorists are always safe on the roadways… The studies that we looked at have shown that lower speed limits has proven to be the safest option,” Nichols said.

The city issued a release explaining how it decides when to raise the speed limit back up::

• When conditions starts to improve, some motorists want us raise the limit back to 90 immediately, but even when conditions look good, there is still a risk of flash freezing
• Before the limit is raised, they have to be certain the bridge deck temperatures have sufficiently stabilized
• The city will monitor the forecast and conditions to make the safest decision
• They always err on the side of caution

Like it or not, the speed limit might change again as early as this weekend, as snow is in the forecast.