No parking will soon mean no stopping on a portion of Sawmill Road in Conestogo.
Citing concerns from some area residents, the Region of Waterloo is now considering changes to its parking bylaw in order to install “no stopping” signs on Sawmill Road in front of Conestogo Public School.
At issue is the fact that some parents, dropping off or picking up their children at the school, are parking their cars for anywhere between 15 to 20 minutes, something that is prohibited under the current bylaw.
But the line between parking and stopping is not clear, as some drivers argue they aren’t parking, but merely waiting to pick up their charges.
“The reason why we are recommending the no-parking zone was to free that area of parked cars so that the visibility of pedestrians, mainly school children, is enhanced. Because there’ve been a few people still violating that particular parking bylaw, we’re now recommending the no-stopping bylaw, which was basically brought to our attention through the public,” said Bob Henderson, the region’s supervisor of traffic engineering.
To this date, the current bylaw made it difficult for enforcement officers to distinguish between those drivers actually parking their vehicles and those stopping temporarily. The proposed changes would make the issue clear-cut.
The idea is to maintain the area in front of school free of cars so that children do not have to walk in between and dart in and out of parked or stopped vehicles.
The region recently conducted a survey requesting public input on the matter, with information gathered to be used to prepare a report for regional council, which will discuss the issue before the start of the school year.
If council endorses a motion to install the “no stopping” signs, parents coming to pick up and drop off their kids at the school will be required to use alternate routes, such as streets at the rear of the school.
For more information, visit www.region.waterloo.on.ca/tes or call 519-575- 4091.
