Set speed limit at 30 km/h in neighbourhoods, councillor proposes

Speed limits on residential and major roads are up for review at city hall, and if Coun. Andrew Knack gets his way, Edmonton drivers will be going slower and faster.

Knack is calling for a uniform 30 km/hspeed limit on residential streets. This would be a significant change from the current situation where the speed limit is 50 km/h except for school and playground zones where it drops to 30 km/h.

"If you were to be hit by a car travelling at 30 kilometresan hour, you have a 90 per cent chance of survival."

In contrast, there is a 60 per cent chance of surviving a crash with a vehicle travelling 40 km/h and a 20 per cent chance when a vehicle is going 50 km/h.

That's just crazy to try to do that kind of speed down a residential road.- Allan Bolstad, Edmonton Federationof Community Leagues

"They're part of our community," Knack said of local roads. "It's where we engage and live our lives."

Allan Bolstad, executive director of the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues, believes the current 50 km/h is too fast on narrow residential roads.

"You often have people crossing at mid-block, including children, whether it's chasing a ball or a skateboard or just running across the street to see their friend," Bolstad said.

Bolstadbelieves police aren't going to ticket drivers unless they're goingat least 55 km/h.

"So that's just crazy to try to do that kind of speed down a residential road."

The EFCL lobbied to have the limit reduced to 40 km/h a few years ago but it didn't get passed at city hall.

When 40 km/h works

Knack believes main roads in a community that are a bit wider and often support bus routes should be 40 km/h.

An example of a minor collector road is 95th Avenue between 142nd and 149th streets, which runs through the community of Crestwood. It has a bus route and feeds people onto arterial networks.

Consistency on collector roads

Knack proposes a uniform limit of 60 km/h on all major arterial roads. Currently some are 50 km/h and others 60 km/h.

For example, 142nd Street has a 60 km/h limit except for a seven-block stretch between Stony Plain Rd and 107th Avenue where it's 50.

The inconsistent system can be frustrating, Knack said.

"If all of our arterial roads are set at the speed they were engineered for, you're going to get to your destination to work, to the grocery store, to your kids' soccer practice far quicker now because it's consistent across the board."

Knack posted the proposal on Facebook and received a range of feedback from people supporting lower residential limits to those wanting higher limits on arterial roads.

Knack believes his proposal is a win-win situation.

"You can create more safe neighbourhoods and at the same time, more efficiently move people and goods throughout the city."

The city canvassed the public for feedback last year. The results of that public engagement are expected to be released Friday.

• Council's move to look at all residential speed limits getting positive response
• Edmonton seeks more public input on neighbourhood speed zones
• City council approves 30 km/h speed limits near Edmonton playgrounds

Community and public services committee is set to discuss the results and possible changes to speed limits at a meeting on April 18.

The city placed a 30 km/h limit around playgrounds last year, every day of the week between 7:30 a.m. and 9 p.m.

@natashariebe