A petition to slow drivers outside of Fruitvale has been met with action from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
Concerned Area A resident Ingrid Mayer was successful with her cause to reduce the speed of drivers on a stretch of Highway 3B, two kilometres north of the village.
“I am still astonished at how everything went so smoothly and swiftly,” she said in an email to the Times. “I never gave up and never lost faith.”
A 90 km sign has been moved further north, to avoid a blind corner, and southbound traffic slows to 70 km sooner, as per requested.
“The Ministry will also install one confirmatory 70 km/hr sign in each direction where there is a higher density of residential access onto Highway 3B,” Greg Kinnear, MOTI area manager for Trail, noted in a letter to Mayer. “When these confirmatory signs are installed, a temporary speed-reader sign will be installed.
“The two curve warning signs in this speed zone will be replaced with newer signs to enhance reflectivity,” he added.
Excessive speeding and roaming wildlife created a recipe for disaster, according to Mayer, who said the catalyst for her was when a baby moose was killed.
“It took only six weeks and one day to go from getting the petition out to all the appropriate people and having the speed limit signs actually moved,” she said.
The process proved rewarding for Mayer who stuck it out on behalf of her neighbours. She only hopes enforcement will follow through.
The Trail and Greater District RCMP have been notified of the change and Sgt. Rob Hawton has agreed to keep a watchful eye on the area.
The Ministry plans on removing the wildlife sign near Grieve Road in Fruitvale and installing a wildlife sign and 12 km tab near Old Salmo Road and a new wildlife sign and 12 km tab near Ross Spur Road.