City of Vancouver considers more speed limit reductions

The City of Vancouver is considering reducing speed limits on more municipal roads in an effort to curb pedestrian and cyclist fatalities.

Mayor Gregor Robertson said it is keeping a close eye on other municipalities across Canada that have taken similar steps to slow traffic.

"We're watching other cities that are going to 30 kilometres in residential areas," said Robertson at a media event on Wednesday.

"Some [reductions] are city-wide now,which obviously has implications for goods movementand commuting times, but we're looking at it within the context of ourTransportation 2040 Planand looking at eliminating traffic fatalities that's the overall goal."

One city that could prove auseful case study is Montreal. On Tuesday, the city's mayor, Denis Coderre,announced plans for a city-wide reduction of speed limits to be implemented next spring, lowering speed limits to30 or 40 kilometres per hour on most city streets. The move is modelled after Sweden's Vision Zero Initiative,aimed at putting an end totraffic fatalities.

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Meanwhile, Edmonton also has plans in motion to slow traffic.

"We'll continue to look at whether a broader implementation of 30 km/hmakes sense. So far, we're making progress on reducing fatalities, but we want that to go right down to zero," said Robertson

A provincial report

In Vancouver, speed limits have already been reduced in some trafficfatality hotpsots, including East Hastings Street, andspeeds along parts of the city's bike network have been brought down to 30 km/h.

But while Robertson says a formal speed reduction plan remains to be seen, last year a report from the province's health officer called for city-wide speed limit reductions across B.C.

According to thereport submitted to the province by Dr. Perry Kendall, reducing speed limits from 50 to 30 kilometres an hour is among the most effective ways to reduce pedestrian and cyclist fatalities two groups whichtogether account for more nearly half of all traffic deaths inMetro Vancouver each year.

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About 280 people are killed every yearand 79,000 people injured on public roads in the province.

Slowing down the suburbs

Other municipalities in Metro Vancouver are also trending towards slower traffic along certain corridors.

New Westminsterhas reduced speeds to 30 km/hthroughout its bike route network.

In North Vancouver, steps are also being made to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

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"Our traffic planprioritizeswalking, cycling and public transit higher than the single occupant vehicle," said City of North Vancouver Mayor Darrell Mussatto.

Advocates from the North Shore have long called forspeed limits in the region tobe lowered to 30 km/h, butMussatto says the city will look atwhat transpires in other municipalities before making a substantial change.

"To do the city as a whole, I think it would be very difficult," he said. "We'd want to learn from what's been done."