3. Keep the default City-wide speed limit at 50 km/h and implement 40 km/h speed areas in residential neighbourhoods.
The Council Question referred to “residential streets.” This has been interpreted to refer to streets in residential neighbourhoods that are intended for lower speeds, lower volumes of traffic, and with an emphasis on property access over mobility (i.e. local roads and Class 2 Collector roads in residential areas).
Residential properties can also be found on other, higher-order road classifications, such as Class 1 Collectors, and Class 1 and Class 2 Arterial Roads; however, since these streets are intended for higher vehicle volumes and speeds, they have not been assumed to be included in the 40 km/h speed reduction.
Advantages and disadvantages of each option are summarized in Table 1. Costs given are high-level estimates and should be confirmed with detailed cost estimates, should Council choose to move forward with any of these options.
Table 1: Comparison of Speed Limit Reduction Options
| Issue for Consideration | Option | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – Sign 40 km/h residential streets individually | 2 – Reduce the City- wide default speed limit to 40 km/h | 3 – Implement speed areas in residential neighbourhoods | |
| Initial cost (approximate) | $1,043,000 | $734,000 | $1,088,000 |
| Ongoing annual maintenance cost (approximate) | $69,000 | $39,000 | $60,000 |
| Phasing | Implementation can be phased neighbourhood by neighbourhood (or street by street) | Cannot be phased | Implementation can be phased neighbourhood by neighbourhood |
| Scalability | Can be implemented only in selected neighbourhoods, if desired | Cannot be implemented in selected neighbourhoods – must be implemented City-wide | Can be implemented only in selected neighbourhoods, if desired |
| Driver Awareness & Understanding | Highest: all 40 km/h streets would have signage identifying the speed limit to drivers. | Lowest: no signs – except at the City boundary – would identify 40 km/h streets.An education campaign and/or educational signage may be needed to foster driver awareness of the new speed limits. | Intermediate: drivers would see signs identifying the speed limit as they enter 40 km/h zones, but the speed limit would not be communicated to drivers as often as under Option 1. |
In general, the total cost to implement a 40 km/h speed limit is lowest for Option 2; however, Option 2 cannot be phased and cannot be implemented only in selected neighbourhoods.