Speed limit stays the same in Sudbury neighbourhoods

The speed limit in Greater Sudbury's neighbourhoods doesn't look like it'll be slowing down.

City councillors have voted against a proposal to drop it to 40 kilometres per hour in residential areas.

During a Monday night committee meeting, roads director David Shelsted argued that lowering it from 50 kilometres per hour would only cost taxpayers thousands of dollars in new signs.

"The reduction in the speed limit wouldn't necessarily see a change in the driver behaviour, but it is extremely expensive, he said.

Sudbury city councillor Jacques Barbeau said the city needs to help the public understand how the road network is planned.

"We need to communicate the facts behind why we do things the way we do them, he said.

And why we don't use stop signs as traffic calming and why we don't arbitrarily reduce speed limits to 40."

Councillors ending up voting against a proposal by residents on South Bay Road to raise the speed limit from 40 km/h to 50 km/h.

And they also voted against about a half dozen new all-way stops.

However, councillors did decide to lower the speed limit around 20 schools in Greater Sudbury.

Me first

At the Monday meeting, council also approved a report on several ideas brought forward by Coun. Joe Cimino, including a change in the routes taken by salt trucks in his ward.

City councillor Terry Kett dismissed Cimino's requests as "frivolous."

"Well, that's fine, because I'll put my hand up next week, he said.

I'll be back with a few of these. I'm not going to support this type of 'me first' thinking. Not a chance."

The decisions from the committee meeting won't be final until a voteis passed by all of Sudbury city council.