The City of Winkler has entered another fight over speed reductions with Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation.

MIT has declined a request to reduce the speed limit from 50 km/h to 30 km/h in a high density development with a number of young families.

"I'm furious they turned it down," Winkler Mayor Martin Harder says, adding he takes personal responsibility for keeping pedestrians and drivers safe within the city.

The request was for a speed reduction on the narrow streets of Orion Lane and Southgate Drive.

Harder explains the area is a safety concern because of its tight entrances and number of young families, "there's a lot of little kids there and they play on the street... and again they turned us down."

In a letter, the Highway Traffic Board cited MIT maintains 50km/h uniformly across the Province within city or town limits.

However, Harder notes almost every time they've requested a speed reduction for the sake of safety from MIT, it's taken multiple requests and constant lobbying.

The battle with MIT goes back nearly a decade to a request for a speed reduction on Highway 14.

The two year process, which started in 2008, included multiple onsite inspections with MIT and even a Winkler Police Service recommendation before the board agreed to drop the limit from 100 km/h to 60 km/h.

It was another two year process to reduce the speed along PR 428 from 100 km/h to 50 km/h, though MIT maintained a recommendation of 60 km/h. The city eventually exercised its authority to establish a 50 km/h speed limit as the highway ran past a school zone.

"What I want to clearly say is, the Highway Traffic Board has been an annoyance," Harder says. "Rationale doesn't work with that group."

While requiring approval for raising speed limits makes sense, Harder notes reducing speed shouldn't be a fight.

"This organization should in fact, keep their nose out of the cities and towns wanting to reduce speed limits for the sake of safety," he says. "It's a waste of time, it's a waste of money, and a waste of brain power."

He notes the City will be reapplying for the speed reductions.

The area is home to a number of young families with children