City council to vote on speed limit reduction for residential areas
Posted Sep 28, 2020 4:14 pm.
Last Updated Sep 28, 2020 4:35 pm.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) – Later this week, city council will be hearing a report recommending speed limits be reduced in many residential areas around Calgary.
It proposes lowering the limit to either 40 or 30 kilometres per hour in a bid to improve safety.
READ MORE: Calgary looking to change residential zone speed limits
While there is criticism this will punish law-abiding drivers, Mayor Naheed Nenshi says the data shows the average speed on the affected areas is already around 30 kilometres per hour.
“The only people that would actually be hurt by this change are not everday people who are already going that slow. It would be the people who were speeding,” said Nenshi.
“It’s actually a great opportunity to focus in on the group of people who are causing the problems in the neighbourhoods.”
He says the change would improve safety.
“If it were up to me, I would just say do it and rip off the bandaid on whatever decision you want to make, whether it’s 50, 40, or 30. But administration is being thoughtful about this, and who am I to say don’t be thoughtful.”
Nenshi says he sat down with councillors after the 2017 election and they said unanimously that the number one concern from residents was speeding.
However, police did note in the forthcoming report that enforcing the new speed limits may be a challenge.
