Council backs lower speed limits plan in Edmonton neighbourhoods

Edmontonians may have to slow down in certain neighbourhoods after Council passed a proposal on Wednesday that could see reduced speed limits on residential streets.

The plan would allow neighbourhoods to cut the speed limits in their communities to 40 kilometres an hour from 50 kilometres an hour, if 60 per cent of residents support the move.

“There are a lot of communities that are very concerned with what’s happening in their community in terms of traffic safety,” says Councillor Ben Henderson.

“It’s another tool that's available. It's certainly not something that anyone is going to be forced to take on, but there were a number of neighborhoods that request the ability to be considered.”

Under the proposal, if a community votes to have a speed limit reduction, transportation officials would first look at other ways to deal with problems, including changing the road design and increased traffic enforcement.

The lower speed limit would be the final option.

The lower limit would then have to be passed in a bylaw by city council, which will make a final decision on whether to bring in this new policy by next fall.

In a vote of 8 to 5, councillors directed administration to create a city wide policy on this issue. However, some councillors feel the ability to change the speed limits will be confusing.

“The people that contacted my office wanted to have the same speed limit throughout the city. They felt that regular speed limit was still safe and was constant,” says Councillor Jane Batty.

“The different speed limits create great confusion.”

She says that enforcement is always a challenge as well.

“We never have enough officers to be able to look after the issues that are already out there, over and above the others we bring forward to them.”

The plan came from a $500,000 pilot study that started in 2010. The study tested a lower speed limit in six neighbourhoods. Overall, it found a 25 per cent drop in severe collisions.

Three of the areas in the pilot asked to keep the 40 kilometre an hour limit and three went back to 50 kilometres an hour.


With files from Vinesh Pratap and Gordon Kent with The Edmonton Journal.