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Brookside Blvd is an entry point into the City of Winnipeg from the North Perimeter Hwy and is one of Winnipegs busiest roads. Many of Winnipegs trucking companies are based in the NW side of the city and all of them put a significant amount of truck traffic on this highway. Brookside is an essential part of Route 90 which is a major connecting arterial through the city. Due to this high traffic volume, Brookside has become a prime location for a Winnipeg Police speed trap. With insufficient speed signing, the safety of the highway is greatly reduced and enforcement has become extremely predatory. Do to this being a prime fishing hole for Winnipeg Police, the City of Winnipeg has no interest in seeing improvements along this road. Luckily, there were other means available to improve this roadway that could not be obstructed by the City of Winnipeg.
Outline
Section 1 The Reduction
1A Why does the Speed Reduce? 1B Signing the Speed 1C Enforcement
Brookside Blvd north of Mollard facing south. At the north side of Mollard, the legal speed limit changes from 100-90 km/h.
Brookside Blvd SB from Mollard showing minimum sized speed sign on the right side of the road only. Photo Credit-Google Street-View (2009)
1C Enforcement
With such poor speed reduction signing, Brookside Blvd has become a major fishing hole for the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS). Several times a week WPS officers could be seen running speed traps at Jefferson Ave which is the next street south of Mollard where the speed reduction is. This spot is especially lucrative because unlike many other speed reductions, there is no physical change in the roadway which would encourage people to lower their speed even if the signs were not observed (See 1B).
WPS routinely enforce SB Brookside at Jefferson. Note that the Winnipeg reduction signs south of Mollard are to scale with the Provincial sign to the north.
Speed reduction ahead sign lying in ditch on Brookside SB south of Mollard on July 12, 2011.
The only sign remaining was the 90 km/h speed sign on the right only.
Kennedy SB at Broadway-New truck route signs installed in September 2011. Note dual signing.
Despite more complaints during September, the sign on Brookside never left the ditch. On September 6th, two letters were delivered to the City of Winnipeg outlining signing issues and asking for improvements at speed reductions and playgrounds. Despite these letters requesting contact the city has remained unreachable which includes failing to return follow-up phone calls.
2C Police Reaction
Even with the speed reduction sign missing, WPS continued to aggressively enforce Brookside Blvd throughout the summer of 2011. Full speed traps consisting of two cruisers and about four officers with one continually using tripod mounted radar were a common sight. On average 4-6 cars would be pulled over at once and lined up to receive tickets. A letter was delivered to WPS on September 6th that outlined the issues of predatory enforcement at speed reductions which specifically referenced Brookside Blvd. This letter requested contact regarding infrastructure inadequacies; but WPS has ignored that request. On September 28th, WPS was approached at this trap and despite attempts to inform them of the missing sign, the officer simply indicated he had no interest in discussing missing signs. A motorist who had just received a ticket said he also told the officer about the missing sign and was told to take the issue up with the courts. At this time, calls were made to the District 3 station complaining about this trap which still continued to operate.
Current signs on Brookside Blvd at Mollard. Note that the MIT signs to the north are to scale with the City of Winnipeg sign to the south.
New MIT speed reduction signs on Brookside north of Mollard. Unlike in Winnipeg, MIT speed signs are larger then minimum and on both sides of a divided road. Photo Credit-MIT (2011)