First donated amber light flashes in Winnipeg school zone

Expert Electric's Chuck Lewis shrugged aside questions about getting frustrated with the city'space of accepting his gift offlashing amber lights to be installed in school zones.

"Honestly to tell you the truth, I'm glad we are on the right path," Lewis told reporters as the first light blinked on Bedson Street nearWinnipeg Mennonite Elementary & Middle School.

The electrician is also providing schools with a safety program booklet that teachesabout traffic and pedestrian safety, andsponsoring a contest where the classroom that comes up with the best safety tip gets free pizza.

"That just creates a little bit of buzz for the kids, a lot more fun. And the safety tip can be on anything,"Lewis said.

Lewis first went to city hall with his offer of supplying and installing the solar-powered warning lightsin 2017.

The reluctance to embrace his offer prompted the electrical contractor last year to install a test light on Bedsonunder the cover of darkness. Then, months later, he vowedto withdraw the offer entirely.

Lewis, however, stayed in the game and after years of negotiations the city and the business owner came to terms for an agreement.

The amber light installation on Bedsonwasapplauded by the principal of the nearby school.

"I always tell our patrols, you know, people coming down this street, they are in a hurry;they might be sleepy, they might have a coffee in their hand.Make sure you have eye contact with themthis needs to be safe,"said principal DavidStoesz from Winnipeg Mennonite Elementary and Middle School.

"And these beacons really help with that for sure."

WATCH | The first donated amber light started blinking in a Winnipeg school zone:

The first donated amber light started blinking in a Winnipeg school zone

4 years ago

Duration 2:15

It marks a success for local business owner who spent years convincing the city to accept his gift.It also is a day when there was other conversations about what might make the streets safer.

The city has indicated the first locations to get the amber lights will be areas wherethe highest number of photo radar tickets have been issued.

Lewis was cautious about criticizing the city, saying he can provide the lights whenever they are needed.

"As long as the city steps up to the plate and installs at appropriate speed, then we'll be rolling them all as fast as we can; like one a month for sure.I'm not in charge of installing, so I can't have any say on that," Lewis said.

Coun. Kevin Klein (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood), who championed Lewis' efforts,was less diplomatic about thejourney to get the lights into the school zones.

"It wouldn't have happened without residents really speaking up and saying how ridiculous that it was that we hadn't jumped at this offer. Period," Klein said.

Speed drop gets thumbs down in poll

While the unveiling of the first amber light was underway, another city councillor was taking aim at a measure proposed to improve safety on the streets.

Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) sponsored a poll by Probe Research that asked if respondents would support a proposal to drop the speed limit on residential streets from 50 km/hto 30 km/h.

The poll suggested56 per cent of respondentssomewhat opposed or strongly opposed dropping the limits, with 44 per cent strongly or somewhat stronglyfor lowering speeds.

"I just don't know if we can enforce it. We are having trouble enforcing the 50 right now. It would be a massive challenge that I don't think we can reasonably do," Browaty told CBC News.

Browaty says he favours a mix of enforcement measures, including selective photo radar, better street design and traffic calming measures, but not dropping the speed limit.

Earlier this week Coun. Matt Allard(St. Boniface)tabled a motion to look at using photo radar ticket revenue from school zones to install more traffic calming measures such a speed bumps.

Probe did the poll between March 10 and 21 with a sample of 600 adult Winnipeggers.The data was collected via online responses and phone polling.Because of the mixed methodology,a probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/- 4.9 per cent19 times out of 20.

Browaty's poll isn't popular with some of his colleagues on city council.

Coun.Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry) sees the 44 per cent who approveofa speed reduction as a sign that minds are being changed on the issue.

"The results released today in a Probe Research poll show that Winnipeggers accept the idea of lowering Winnipeg's residential speed limits, and that campaigns like 'Love 30 km'are working," Rollins said in a statement.