‘Incorrect’ speed limit posted on Whitby, Ontario street where kids hit by cars twice in past 2 years

Is the speed limit 50 k/hr? Is it 60? Is it 40?

A Whitby councillor wants to know why the incorrect speed limit was posted on Dryden Boulevard for at least two years, with council set to approve a request Monday to have staff prepare a report on the inconsistencies and consult with Durham Regional Police to see if the incorrect posted signage resulted in any “enforcement challenges.”

Chris Leahy appealed for answers in a video shared on his socials last month, saying staff need “to get to the bottom of this and correct the problem” after the posted speed limit on Dryden Boulevard between Garden Street and Brock Street was incorrect “for at least two years.”

Leahy visited the area in November after a request for a crossing guard at an intersection where two students were hit by cars in the past two years was denied. Crossing guards, he was told, are not used in areas with 60 k/hr speed limits.

“The sign used to say 50 k/hr, then it was 60,” Leahy said, adding that he was told the 50 k/hr signs were installed “by mistake.”

“We need to correct this problem, lower the speed limit and get crossing guards here,” he said in the video.

Whitby’s Committee of the Whole was told the speed limit was reduced shortly after Leahy’s post “in the interest of public safety and to better reflect the surrounding residential context.”

The motion on the floor a Monday’s council meeting is to have staff prepare a report on the matter and talk to police to see if there has been any “enforcement challenges or ticketing inconsistencies,” any safety concerns or reported incidents related to the mis-posted limit and any recommended measures to prevent similar issues in the future.

Whitby Councillor Chris Leahy on Dryden Boulevard