Photo-radar snaps a eae
telling picture of haste
on some of our streets

BY ANNA MARIE D'ANGELO
News Reporter

THE photo-radar camera has been shoot-
ing speeders like they were fish in a barrel.

The speeding-ticket machine has been set up this
month in two spots in North Vancouver: Keith Road
just west of Grand Boulevard and on 3rd Street near
Mahon Avenue.

The tickets issued now are warning tickets. Real
speeding tickets of $100 and excessive speeding tick-
ets of $150 will be issued in July. (Excessive speeding
is more than 40 km-h above the posted speed limit.)

The RCMP recently provided a sampling of three
sets of data frem the Keith Road photo-radar camera.

The speed limit on the road is 50 km-h.

But that didn’t mean much to most drivers.

On the afternoon of May 22, 538 of the 739

 photo-radar warniiig, tickets issued from May 1 to
May 24 in the province numbysred 28,653; |

if all those ‘tickets ‘were’ real, the: government
would rake {i at least $2.9. tiniltton for By ‘weeks of

Keith Ra. near
Grand Soulevard
- 05/18/96
trom 9:12 a.m.
to 11:16 a.m.

NUMBER OF VEHICLES

hm per kaur

Keith fd. near
Grand Boulovard
+ 05/22/95
from 3:28 p.m.

But Tootill said the one-speeding-ticket-a-year dri-
ver is the one who will be caught in a photo-radar pic-
ture,

motorists were travelling over the speed limit.

On the Saturday before, 1,012 of 1,349 motorists
were speeding.

The median speed drivers were going ended up
being 55 km-h with people driving as fast as 83 km-h
and as slow as 25 km-h.

Under guidelines set by the provincial government,
only the top 15% of speeders in the total group mea-
sured will get tickets. ;

At the Keith Road photo-radar spot., that meant
anyone going more than 64 km-h got warning tickets.

The photo radar Mounties sent 103 warning tickets

|
Tt i f to 5:10 p.m.

Photo-radar opponents say motorists feel violated
when they open the mail.and realize they’ve been sur-
reptitiously photographed speeding.

Tootili said there is nothing to stop a change toa
lower speed tolerance to nab more speeders. :

West Vancouver District has repeatedly postponed
a decision whether or not to have photo radar in the
community. North Vancouver District councillors have -
put photo radar on hold leaving North Vancouver City
as the only North Shore municipality currently endors- .
ing the controversial program. .”

Clarabut said two cameras are planned to be set up

in any Lower Mainiand community wishing to have
photo radar. Clarabut said that if a community rejects
photo radar, police will not.set.it.up.on the. Trans-
Canada Highway which runs through: it, :
The other North Vancouver City hoto-radar ‘camera.
shows a different speed picture. ° :
Photo-radar statistics for 3rd Street at Mahon’ Avenue on
May 22 show most people driving within the 50 km- h limit
The median speed of 745 motorists measured. was 48 kin-
Warning tickets were sent to 29 drivers ‘tracked ‘during
two-hour: period. The warning tickets went out to drivers
going more than 61 km-h. Motorists travelling 1 more than the:
speed limit numbered 274, . :

to the motorists in the group of 1,349 clocked on May
18. They sent 59 warning tickets to drivers in the May
22 group of 739.

Said RCMP Staff Sgt. Mike Clarabut, “In most cases,

’ we are surprised that the speeding is not more severe.’

-Clarabut'said police are tolerating speeding at the photo-

: radar’ spots at a higher level than the public wants.

‘.-He said police are acting fairly. .
*, But photo radar opponents still don’t find the ticketing
program fair. ;

° North Vancouver resident Ronald Niven, of the anti-photo
radar group” SENSE | (Safety ‘ by Education Not Speed
Enforcement), said the program’ 's real purpose is as a cash
‘machine: =,

<agetond
-source ACMP photo radar unit
- NEWS graphic Cathioen Powell

the police,” said Niven.

He questioned the statistics of the photo-radar equipment
and said the provincial speed limits should be accessed by
independent traffic engineers.

“They (the government) will resist that because it will cut
profits,” said Niven.

Niven said the provincial government needs phoio-radar
to generate millions for budget expenses. :

SENSE spokesman [an Tootil!l said that most motorists

. “What wil be. ‘happening is'more and more contempt for

hi isto ry
BYIAMNODLE

: News Reporter
‘UNLIKE most people

i -facing unemployment,
-Point Atkinson light-

‘keeper. Don Graham |

sees a rosier future.

Graham and fellow Point

1 Atkinson lightkeeper Gerry

"Watson were laid off Friday in |

‘the wake of the federal govern-
 ment's drive to automate light-
‘houses.

_ But Graham says lightkeep-
ers were the winners in’ the
recent election which saw party
leaders Glen Clark, Gordon
Campbell, Jack Weisgerber and
Gordon Wilson all pledge sup-
port for staffed light-stations.

“E think the future Jooks
pretty bright for us now,” said
Graham, who will likely remain
at his ocean-side lighthouse
home until July 31.

“I'l just try to keep the sta-
tion together until the federal
government takes it over,” he
added.

Meanwhile, Watson said he
will retire. After 16 years at
Point Atkinson and “too many

‘to count” working for the feder-
al coast guard, which operates
the lighthouses, Watson said he
will take his severance package.

See Point Atkinson page 33

mail.

i

rict st

News columnist cited
as reason behind

multicultural mandate
BY MARTIN MILLERCHIP

Contributing Writer

IT used to be called multicultural train-
ing; now it’s diversity sensitivity training.

Either way, North Vancouver District staff are going
to be getting more of it while the municipality as a
whole gets its own Diversity Advisory Committee.

But not all of council agrees with the moves. The
proposals passed in a close 4-3 vote Tuesday night with
Couns, Ernie Crist, Jim Cuthbert and Pam Goldsmith-
Jones opposed.

“This is too much,” said Goldsmith-Jones.

“It will offend an awful lot of well-meaning people,
including me.”

Mayor Murray

- Dykeman said the pro-

posed actions restrict-
ed nobody’s freedom.
“Tt may be unfortu-
nate that we have to make such statements because of
the actions of some people,” said Dykeman.

“The statements here are a supportable approach to
multicultural issues and it's a way of working together
and bringing about a balanced community.”

Dykeman did not identify to which people or to what

“actions he referred.

But Coun. Janice Harris, who supported the staff
proposals, later told the News that controversial News
columnist Doug Collins was the background to the
issue.

“He (Collins) has a right to his opinions. He is enti-
tled for better or for worse:

“But it's just such a constant barrage, that’s the prob-
lem,” said Harris. “it makes simple decisions like this,
which are a non-issue in Burnaby, take on this momen-

feel “the other guy” is going to get a photo-radar ticket in the

lis to ¢

‘ o :

lous dimension in the district betause we . have Doug."

At issue was an updated stall report on the 1994 rec-
ommendations of the district” s Multicultural Task
Force.

That task force report cogitained 39 recommenda-
tions of which three were adopted by council along with
a request | for a staff report on the recommendations “i
one year.”

On Tuesday, 26 months, later, staff tabled a six-point
proposal that will see: |.

& the establishment of a District Community Diversity
Advisory Committee (DCDAC);

=) diversity sensitivity training incorporated into the
1996 training program for “front-line staff who have the
most contact with the public”;

@ the draft policy on diversity circulated to community
organizations for review;

Ga “diversity in practice audit” conducted by Human

_ Resources in conjunction with staff and the unions;

® two statements added to the district's Corporate
Business Plan with respect to recognition of diversity
and consultation.

Staff say that while organizational details of the
DCDAC have yet to be determined, a 10-member com-
mittee is envisaged. :

It would be made up of two members from the North
Shore Multicultural Society, three residents and five
senior staff members representing North Shore Health,
the RCMP, the libraries, the recreation commission and
the district.

The diversity audit is intended to determine “if there ~

are systemic barriers to recruitment and advancement
and to identify opportunities for change.”

Diversity sensitivity training for staff is based on the
belief “that efforts to promote fair and reasonable
access iu services require an awareness and sensitivity
on the part of staff who work within the existing sys-
tem.”

Crist disagreed.

“Why is it we have to set up an additional level of
bureaucrecy to administer the obvious?” he asked. “I
believe this will do a great deal of harm. We're telling
peopie io say good moming and be courteous to each
other.”

The. photo-radar_ cameras “are set ‘up “on, streets, "where’
= involving speeders have’ éccurred.: :

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