City council’s transportation and Public Works Committee is reviewing the idea of reducing speed limits on residential roads and has asked the city administration to consult the public. EFCL has been asked for its input by the city’s traffic safety branch.
Traffic Safety on residential roads is a key priority of EFCL and the community leagues. In continuing to improve road safety, EFCL is partnering with Traffic Safety Edmonton, and Community Leagues to implement a number of initiatives on targeted communities in our City.
One such initiative is to start the process of Community consultation to determine the possibility of reducing the speed limit in residential areas and the creation of school zones. The results will be submitted to Council for a decision in Council October meeting.
EFCL proceeded with a community consultation process to determine community support for a reduced residential speed limit and the creation of school zones.
COMMUNITY CONSULTATION
In agreement with Traffic Safety Edmonton, a Reduced Speed Limit Workshop was arranged at EFCL Office on June 16, 2009. Traffic Safety, Community Leagues, School Boards, Edmonton Police Services and other community stakeholders participated in the workshop. Minutes of the Workshop were recorded and published. A copy of the minutes is attached with this report.
To give a chance to all community members to have their say in the community consultation, EFCL installed a Reduced Speed Survey on its website, and invited feedback/comments from the wider community to determine the levels for community support for proposed reduced residential speed limit on residential roads and the creation of school zones.
EFCL also consulted the wider community through its e-newsletter by highlighting speeding issue.
Workshop Results
On June 16 Community League volunteers, Traffic Safety Edmonton, Edmonton Public School Board, Edmonton Catholic School Board, Edmonton Police Service, Alberta Motor Association, Safe Parent Edmonton, participated in the Reduced Speed Limit Workshop arranged by the Edmonton Federation of Community League at its office. Allan Bolstad, Executive Director, Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues briefed the audience on the background of the issue. Shahriyar Khan, EFCL Community Development Officer explained the purpose of the workshop and the importance of the community involvement to discuss this issue. He also briefed the participant on the e-mails and telephone calls he receiving from the community. Bev Zubot, EFCL Planning Advisor, through her power point presentation referred to the various studies conducted on speeding and highlighted rational of reduced speed limit in residential areas. After a detail discussion, the issue was put to voting through motions. Results are given below.
Reducing Speed Limit in Residential Areas:
Motion: Reduce the speed limit in residential areas.
20 (95%) For, 1 (5%) Opposed
Motion: Reduce residential area speed limit to:
40 km/hr 6 (38%) For
35 m/hr 4 (25%)For
30 km/hr 6 (38%) For
5 abstained
Recommendation: Adopt a speed limit of below 40 km/hr
1- Reducing Speed Limits in School Zones
Motion: Adopt a 30 km school/playground zone.
18 (86%) for, 3 (14%) opposed
Recommendation: Adopt a 30 km school/playground zone which is in effect at all times.
19 (90%) for, 1 (5%) opposed, One abstained
2- Highest Priority
Motion-Highest priority recommendation. Out of 20 voters, one abstained
13 (65%) supported reducing speed in residential areas as the highest priority
7 (35%) supported adopting school/playground zones as the highest priority.
Online Questionnaire Results
149 respondents with 68 leagues represented
Submissions between 090707 and 090724
|
Question
|
Yes
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No
|
Not sure
|
|
Do you think lowering the speed limit in residential areas is a good idea?
|
107
|
28
|
7
|
|
Is there a need for creating special speed limits for schools and playgrounds?
|
100
|
17
|
4
|
An overwhelming majority (75%) out of 142 respondents think lowering the speed limit in residential areas is a good idea, while 20% disagree with it. With respect to the need for creating special speed limit for schools and play grounds, again majority (83%) out of 121 respondent agreed to the creation of such zones.
|
Question
|
Strongly agree
|
Somewhat Agree
|
May be
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Somewhat disagree
|
Strongly disagree
|
|
Would lowering the speed limit in residential areas reduce speeds?
|
37
|
36
|
31
|
12
|
9
|
|
Do you think lowering the speed limit in residential areas can reduce accident frequency?
|
43
|
36
|
22
|
16
|
8
|
|
Is there a need for creating special school and playground zones?
|
75
|
14
|
11
|
12
|
11
|
With respect to effect lowering speed limit will have on speeding, 73 or 58% of the 125 respondents agreed, while 17% disagreed. The rest were undecided.
With respect to whether lowering the speed limit in residential areas can reduce accident frequency, 63% agree and 19% disagree, while the rest are undecided.
Nearly three quarters (72%) of the respondents support the creation of special school and playground zones while only 18% are opposed.
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Question
|
20 km/hr
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30 km/hr
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40 km/hr
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50 km/hr
|
|
What speed limit would you suggest for residential roads?
|
2
|
39
|
51
|
32
|
|
What speed limit would you suggest for school zones?
|
20
|
83
|
11
|
8
|
With respect to the preferred speed limit for residential zones, the largest number suggested 40 km/hr. Combined support for 40 km/hr or less would be 74%
An overwhelming majority of respondents (84%) support reduction of speed limit in school zones to 30 km/hr or less (20 km/hr).
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Question
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Immediately
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Within 6 months
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Within one year
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By 2011
|
|
What do you think should be the time frame for the City to implement the lowering of speed limits?
|
46
|
25
|
23
|
11
|
With respect to the respondent opinion on implantation time of new speed limit, out of 105 respondents, 44% want immediate implementation, while 24% want its implementation within 6 months. A good number of respondent want it implemented in a year time (22%)
Comments and Feedback
The community consultation process initiated by EFCL through a workshop and a survey, invited comments and feedback from a wide range of stakeholders. With respect to the reduced speed limit on residential zones and creation of school zones, many comments reflected the degree to which it would improve traffic safety. Many respondents believed that a reduced speed limit will ensure safety for everyone in the community.
Analysis
Analysis of the workshop discussion and individual survey responses indicates that a majority of community members and survey respondents support reduced speed limit of 40 km/hr or less on residential roads. In addition, a majority of the respondents want to see school and playground zones created and support a speed limit of 30 km/hr for school and playground zones.
In light of the strong support for reduced speed limits, it is suggested that the board recommend reducing the speed limit on residential roads to 40 km.
However, it is also noted that this would be a significant change that might have a number of implications.
Hence, it is suggested that this be done on a pilot process basis. It is also felt that it be tried simultaneously in three neighborhoods, so the results from one area which could be quite unique to that area don’t necessarily bias the result.
The program should be reviewed after six months to see how well it is working.