A local resident is raising serious concerns about a recent speed limit change in the community of Marchand, Manitoba, saying the location of the signs is putting lives at risk.
Jacquie Loeppky, a long-time Marchand resident living on the east side of town, says she’s frustrated and fearful after the speed limit along a residential section of PR 210 was raised to 100 kilometres per hour about a year ago, despite sidewalks, heavy pedestrian traffic, and ongoing safety issues near the Twisted Root Campground.
“Now these drivers are speeding through Marchand. It’s so dangerous when they're trying to pass you. They're like, it doesn't matter if your turn signal is on; people are cutting past you because you're not going up to speed, and it's caused an accident there.”
Loeppky points to a recent incident involving her neighbour: “Three weeks ago, my neighbour was turning into his driveway, and a car passed him on the gravel and flipped him off because he’s not going 100km turning into his driveway. It's just so unsafe.”
The issue, she says, goes beyond inconvenience. It’s become a matter of public safety.
“There’s still a sidewalk in the 100km zone. I mean, where else in Manitoba are you going to find that? There are people walking, biking, and quadding, especially from Twisted Root to the gas station or the bar. Someone is going to die.”
“It Just Doesn’t Make Sense”
Loeppky says the section in question lies on PR 210 on the east end of Marchand, where the posted speed limit was moved from east of the Road 48E turnoff to several hundred feet closer to town.
“It used to be that the 70km zone, driving into Marchand, started where the sidewalk ended. That made sense. Now, the 100km zone starts before that turn. It’s just wrong.”
Loeppky notes that many of those speeding through are not local.
“A lot of them are coming from Woodridge or Sandilands, or they're just heading home from Steinbach and want to speed up because the sign says they can. Truckers too. They don’t slow down until they have to. It’s a busy truck route.”
Petition Gaining Support
Loeppky and several concerned residents have been pushing back for over a year. They’ve sent emails and made phone calls to the Rural Municipality of La Broquerie and the Manitoba Department of Transportation. So far, she says, the response has been silence or deflection.
“It feels like we’ve been completely ignored. Nobody wants to take responsibility for it. We’ve been brushed off.”
The group has gathered dozens of signatures on a petition, asking for just one simple change.
“You know what I’m asking for? 500 feet,” Loeppky said. “That’s all. Just move the 100km sign 500 feet further down the road (east), to after the 48E turnoff. It would make a huge difference.”
Accidents, Near Misses, and Fear for the Future
In the time since the change, Loeppky said the area has seen more crashes and more close calls.
“We had a three-vehicle accident at the corner of the 210 and 48E about a month ago. And there have been a lot of near misses. People pass when they shouldn’t. My biggest fear is that someone is going to get hit, whether it’s a pedestrian or another driver.”
Loeppky says she’s especially concerned for local children.
“There are kids two doors down from me, and they walk through the ditches now because they’re too scared to be on the shoulder of the highway,” she said. “That’s not right.”
What’s Next?
With more signatures now collected, Loeppky plans to submit the remainder of the petition to the RM, and then connect with her MLA.
“I’m just hoping someone will finally listen. This is for everyone: residents, summer visitors, kids. We just want it to be safe again.”
As of now, no formal response has been received from the RM of La Broquerie or the Manitoba Department of Transportation. But for Loeppky and her neighbours, the message is clear:
“It’s just not safe,” she said. “And we’re not going to stop until something is done.”
