Cambridge will ask the region to initiate the process to designate McQueen Shaver Boulevard a community safety zone after council voted unanimously to support a motion asking for the change.
The designation would allow the region to install Automated Speed Enforcement cameras along the stretch that has become notorious for speeding since it opened in August 2021.
Ward 6 Coun. Adam Cooper tabled the motion after hearing from several neighbours of the boundary road about excessive speed and noise.
Susan Shackleton, whose home backs onto McQueen Shaver said some neighbours no longer let their children play in their backyards fearing a speeding vehicle could lose control, jump the curb and smash through backyards.
"It's like living next to a NASCAR raceway," Shackleton told councillors, urging them to support Cooper's motion. She believes some "muscle cars" and motorcycles come to the road at night just to speed.
Michael Eccles, whose home backs onto the road near the Franklin roundabout said he's never seen speeding and stunt driving to the frequency and degree that it happens on McQueen Shaver and hopes the community safety zone designation results in an ASE camera, or at least gives police power to level greater fines for people who speed recklessly in the interim.
"This area is a danger," Cooper said. "The region has unwittingly created a drag strip."
He understands the road doesn't meet the conventional use of the community safety zone because it's not near a school, but that doesn't mean there isn't a danger, he said.
"Cameras are going to have a significant impact on this and I would just like to open the doors to that," he said. "This is one hurdle down to try and solve this problem."
Coun. Scott Hamilton said he was happy to see the motion tabled, remembering the waves of emails and calls he received as a new councillor about the excessive noise, vibrations and dangerous traffic on the new boundary road.
"I hope this is kind of a flare to the region and a shout out to our colleagues at other levels of government that our residents need some help here," he said.
Mayor Jan Liggett offered her criticism of the decision makers behind the road, calling McQueen Shaver an example of someone not understanding or taking into account the consequences she feels should have been "a no brainer."
"When you have a long stretch, you're going to have people speeding and not caring about traffic rules," she said.
Council also voted unanimously in favour of Cooper's second motion, supporting regional Coun. Rob Deutschmann's motion at the region, that asks the province to amend the Highway Traffic Act to allow municipalities to place ASE cameras on any roadway under their jurisdiction.
As it is written now, the Highway Traffic Act only permits ASEs in school zones and community safety zones.
