City asked to reinstate school zone speed limits

An accident that took place just steps away from an Edmonton school is triggering calls from the Catholic School Board to reinstate school zone speed limits.

The move is in an effort to protect local students and their families from traffic-related accidents and that involves lowering speeds to a posted 30 km/h limit.

"What we're saying is possibly increase the signage and not just post the school zone sign but post a speed limit to remind people to slow down," said Debbie Engel with the Catholic School Board.

Henry Madsen, principal at Ellerslie School, one of the only three schools in Edmondon that has a posted school zone speed limit agrees.

"I can't imagine a school on a busy street not having a school speed limits," Madsen said.

"It helps ensure the safety of our kids."

But school zones haven't been used in Edmonton since the 1970s, and the city says it's not necessarily the best solution.

"We chose to go to the use of active control devices. Most places you'll find something like a flashing amber light," said Brice Stephenson with the city.

"The province also has school zone guidelines which we follow. And when those new guidelines came out a few years back we actually looked at each and every school in the city to see whether or not they would require school zones based on those guidelines and almost no locations did."

Stephenson says the only reason Ellerslie, Winterburn and Horse Hill schools have school zone limits, is because they were originally rural schools that were annexed into the city in the 1980s.

Current measures put in place to protect students in Edmonton include crosswalks and school signs but the school board and teachers says it's just not enough.

"It's all about safety, safety first," Madsen said.

"Especially in the morning and right around 4 p.m., you can imagine how busy it is. It is bumper to bumper traffic and so if we didn't have posted speed limits it would be a very dangerous place for kids."

But the Catholic School Board aren't the only ones calling for reinstated speed limits around school zones, the family of a woman hit by a vehicle in front of a school earlier this month wants to see the change made as well.

On April 7, 66-year-old Bernice Jingling was hit by a car at 128 Street and 122 Avenue while she was walking her great-grand-daughter to school.

There was no marked crosswalk in front of St. Pius X Elementary School where Jingling was hit. She later died in hospital.

The city is currently reviewing the accident involving Jingling and are also waiting on the police report before it considers making any changes at that school in particular.

With files from Carole Anne Guay