By Madeline Kerr

A notice to all lead-footed Chelsealites: the stretch of Hwy 105 that runs in front of the Chelsea Montessori school has officially been reduced to 30 km/h during the school day.

Notice signs were installed on Aug. 22 to warn road users of the change, which was adopted by the Chelsea municipal council during a regular meeting on Sept. 5 this year.

In a press release, the municipality explained that: “following the recommendations of the Public Works and Infrastructures advisory committee and the Active and Sustainable Mobility committee, the municipal council officially adopted the bylaw modifying the speed limit on this section of the road.”

The 30 km/h speed limit will be in effect from Monday to Friday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., from Aug. 15 to June 30 each year.

Chelsea Montessori is a private elementary and preschool that has been operating in the village since 1997. The school’s director-general, Nancy Courchesne, told the Low Down that, although the school did not advocate to the municipality for the speed change, she is glad that it’s been made.

“Because some of our kids walk to the library and they have to cross that road, I think it’s a great thing,” she said.

Speed limits along various sections of Chelsea’s Hwy 105 have been a point of contention for years. In February 2022, the Chelsea Ward 2 Residents’ Association and Sustainable, Active, Fun, Equitable (SAFE) Chelsea conducted a study of 20 crosswalks along Old Chelsea Road, Kingsmere Road near Old Chelsea, Scott Road, and part of Hwy 105 and found problems with most of them. The report also provided suggestions on how to make the crossings more visible to drivers and therefore safer.

In March this year, the death of 74-year-old Emilian Dragulescu from Burnett, who was struck by a car while walking his dog along the highway, sparked an outcry from the community and led to a petition asking the government and Chelsea council to lower the road’s speed limit. The petition garnered 389 signatures and helped lead to the council’s adoption on May 2 of a reduced speed limit – from 70 km/h to 50 km/h – along the stretch of Hwy 105 within Chelsea’s boundaries.

At the time, councillors said that Hwy 105 had transitioned from a highway to a residential road, explaining that the road’s dynamics have changed as well. Speed changes are one way to reflect that the road is now frequently used by pedestrians and cyclists.