The city’s new 40 km/ hr speed limit pilot program is now fully operational in six Edmonton neighborhoods. The purpose of the project is to reduce accidents and make residents feel safer in their communities. As soon as this happens, the EFCL and the City of Edmonton believe that more people will be out walking and biking and getting to know their neighbors.
On June 17, the EFCL invited residents from the six project communities to a meeting to get updates on the project and to provide comments. Residents were told that traffic speeds were falling in these neighborhoods, although one chart showed that only 24% of the motorists were travelling 40 km/hour of less.
A number of residents were frustrated to hear that the enforcement phase of the program had yet to begin. They felt the program objectives could not be met until this happened.
Dan Jones, from the Office of Traffic Safety, said photo radar vans would be deployed in each area shortly, along with “covert” or unmarked vehicles. This will give the city an idea of the importance of traffic enforcement measures, he said.
The EFCL has encouraged the City of Edmonton to strictly enforce the speed limit in these areas. It has also raised a concern about the “unspecified level of tolerance” the city gives to people exceeding the 40 km/hour speed limit.
The pilot program will run until the end of October and a report summarizing its impact is scheduled to go to city council early in 2011. The 40 km/hr. speed limit will remain in place until a decision on the project is made.
The six communities in the project are Beverly Heights,Woodcroft, Westridge/Wolf Willow, Ottewell, King Edward Park and Twin Brooks.
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