Steinbach City Council has decided to move forward with a complete overhaul of their traffic by-law.

A municipal traffic by-law covers everything from installation of traffic controls such as lights and signs, to spring weight restrictions, to the use of engine brakes.

Troy Warkentin is Steinbach's Chief Administrative Officer. He says a while back the province implemented the Municipal By-Law Enforcement Act which gives the city a greater ability to enforce their rules. He notes the city's current traffic bylaw is not very compatible with this new penalty system.

“The city incorporated its traffic bylaw into this new administrative penalty scheme bylaw and it was a different way of enforcing different municipal bylaws that exist. Along with that transition, we have now had an opportunity to review the traffic bylaw, hence the reasoning for it to be brought back to council. Basically, it is an overall update and written in more plain everyday English as best as we are able.”

Warkentin says the current traffic by-law was passed 26 years ago and since then more bylaws have been passed to fill in the holes.

“We are looking at a few different bylaws that have been passed separately over the years and we are looking at incorporating those bylaws all into one comprehensive document.”

Administration presented this proposed bylaw to city council at a committee meeting this past week. A few of the changes include an outright ban on parking within 10 feet to a sidewalk entrance or crosswalk and new rules to prohibit obstructions on roadways and sidewalks.

Council made some tweaks including greater fines for offenses like defacing traffic signs and also asked that certain portions be removed from the bylaw that would have made it more difficult for residents to request things like stop signs.

Steinbach administration will now make these adjustments and bring the updated bylaw before council for first reading later this fall.