Community safety zone signs have been installed at all schools across Kingston with the final phase to be completed this fall — just in time for classes to resume.
The signs remind motorists to be on the lookout for students and other pedestrians. They also warn of possible fines for those who don’t follow the posted speed limit. Speeding in a community safety zone will have ‘double’ the cost of a normal speeding ticket.
“So, if you normally might get a $100 ticket for speeding, now you are going to get close to a $200 ticket and that’s not just for speeding. If it’s a red-light violation or a stop sign violation again penalties vastly increase, normally double,” Kingston Police Sergeant Steve Koopman told Global News.
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The regulatory tool was broadened in response to the tragic death of a student at Mother Teresa Catholic School, since renamed St. Teresa of Calcutta, in January of 2022. Since then, a school transportation safety review panel was formed partnering Kingston Police, the city, bus companies and local school boards.
The community safety zone roll-out is just one of multiple improvements made.
“I haven’t seen anybody slowing down. They are passing by as fast as they were driving before the community zone,” says Kingston resident Syed Kazmi. Kazmi sells air purifiers and fixes computers at a business on Bath Road right across from Frontenac Secondary School where recently, community safety zone signs have appeared.
Kazmi says he did not realize the signs had been installed, but hopes they have the desired effect.
“They should consider that to reduce their speed for sure because the kids… they really… sometimes they are chasing each other and they really run fast,” he says.
Kazmi says he has seen Kingston Police monitoring drivers in the area already. According to Koopman, residents should expect that to continue at schools around the city with the rest of the signs going up at schools this summer and fall.
The city is also planning to bring in mobile photo radar units by the summer of 2024 to catch every driver going even one kilometre over the posted limit and mail them their ticket.