Ottawa committee approves 30 km/h speed limit on certain streets

Ottawa's transportation committee says narrower, less-busy local roads with little transit service should be allowed to post speed limits of 30 kilometres per hour.

The new policy, which still must be approved by full council, could be implemented onexisting streets in cases where the lower limit meets "traffic management best practices" and protects vulnerable road users, said the city.

The current City of Ottawa rules do not allow for a posted speed limit lower than 40 km/h unless 85 per cent of traffic on the road travels 40 km/h or lower.

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"Traffic services has been receiving a number of increased requests to post30 kilometre anhour speed limits on roadways," said Krista Tanaka, the city's program manager for road safety and traffic investigations during a presentation Wednesday to the transportation committee.

"These requests are not unreasonable. Studies have shown that reducing speed limits on roadways ... have the benefit of reducing collision severityas well as increasing the chance that people can avoid collisions if something does arise."

In a report submitted to the transportation committee, city staff suggested five criteria for evaluatingwhether lower speed limits should be implemented.

• Be a local road and/or have a strong pedestrian presence.
• Have a transit service of no more than three trips per hour per direction.
• Have a combined travel lane width of no more than seven metres.
• Have an existing maximum speed limit of 50 km/h.
• Have traffic volumes of less than 2,500 vehicles per day.

Some councillors at the transportation committee meetingquestioned whether the policy would impact roadways within their wards, given that many streetsin more suburban areasare wider and do not meet the criteria.

New rules won't help some schools, says councillor

KitchissippiCoun.Jeff Leipersaid hebelieves the lower speed limit is appropriate for residential neighbourhoods, but he doesn't think the new policy actuallyhelps lower speed limits in all areas whereit's needed.

"What we sensed in thereport that came forward this morning was a real reticenceon thepart of staff," said Leiper. "They don't want to implement a 30 kilometreper hour speed limit unless the road is already operating slowly."

Leipersaid the policy's criteria also makes lowering the speed limit on wider streets where some schools exist such as DevonshireCommunity PublicSchoolat 100 Breezehill Ave.verydifficult.

"The implications of the policy ...is that those streets won't be considered for [a] 30kilometreper hourlimit," he said.

Leiper said enforcement could also prove to be a challenge. "Despite putting a sign up to say 30kilometres per hour, a lot of drivers are going to ignore that and we don't have any tools in place to enforce the limit," he said.

"The police have limited resources to try and do traffic enforcement."

However, Leiper saidhe's hopefulprovincial legislation could help mandate lower speed limits in areas of the city where it's needed, which could provide greater support around enforcement.

"There is a process in front of Queen's Park right now that should be finished by this spring and we're hoping thatthey will pass legislation that give us an ability to create default speed of 30 kilometresper hour."

In the meantime, Leipersaid he intends to speak with city staff aboutloosening the policy's "restrictive" criteriabefore the policy report is presented to city council on April 12.