Langley RCMP handed out 16 tickets for traffic violations over three days last month at the Brydon Park playground on the corner of 53 Avenue and 198 Street in Langley City.
A report by Insp. Peter Jadis, the Langley RCMP detachment Operations Officer, called the playground a “traffic hot spot” and said officers will continue to visit the site.
The report was released by mayor Ted Schaffer at the Monday, Jan. 30 meeting of council.
The crackdown comes after a traffic safety study found most drivers were ignoring the 30 km/h speed limit.
The average daytime speed in the playground zone was 55 km/h, according to a survey carried out as part of a development permit application by the builder of the Uptown Village townhouse project at 55 Avenue and 198 Street.
The findings were disclosed during a December public hearing on the proposal and referred to police by mayor Schaffer on behalf of council.
“This council did take those concerns seriously,” Schaffer said.
Insp. Jadis said on Jan. 9, an afternoon visit to the playground by members of the traffic section netted seven speeding tickets.
On Jan. 16, no one was caught speeding, but that “may have been attributed to the presence of marked police vehicles,” Jadis said.
When police returned with unmarked vehicles on Jan. 17, nine tickets were issued, six for speeding and three for running stop signs.
Jadis said as officers were writing tickets, two local residents “stopped and thanked the members for patrolling in the area.”
The residents informed police that the problem appears to be connected to construction on 200 Street, with the road past the playground being used as a detour.
“We will continue to monitor the area and conduct enforcement with the goal of changing the driving behaviour in this area,” the Jadis report said.
“It continues to be a “traffic hotspot” which has resulted in increased enforcement and education by (police)”
The children’s playground was rebuilt between December 2015 and February 2016, with play structures for children ages one to five, and five to 12, with swings suitable for each age range, climbing features, slides and a push-it-yourself merry-go-round.
Brydon Park also has a paved play area for ball hockey and basketball, an intermediate soccer field and a softball diamond
Drivers caught speeding in a playground zone face a fine of between $196 and $253 and the addition of three points on their driver’s licence.
A motorist who is more than 40 km/h over the limit can be fined $368 to $483 for excessive speed and receive three points.