Victoria councillors are proposing to lower the speed limits on some roads, saying they want to make their community safer for people to walk, cycle and drive.
They are putting an idea forward to reduce speed limits from 50 km/h to 40 km/h on specific streets within the City of Victoria boundaries.
The following streets are being considered by council to reduce the speed limit:
- Richmond Road between Fort Street and Crescent Road
- Southgate Street
- Quadra Street
- Bay Street between Blanshard Street and Richmond Road
- Douglas Street between Belleville Street and Dallas Road
- Gorge Road
- Richardson Street between Cook Street and Gonzales Avenue
- Within the area of Victoria described in the Official Community Plan as the Downtown Core
In addition, they are looking at reducing the posted speed limit from 50 km to 30 km for Cook Street between Southgate Street and Dallas Road.
Map of the proposed changes before council.
These changes would come shortly after the Ministry of Transportation’s decision to raise the speed limit on some B.C. highways.
Eighty-one per cent of people in the Lower Mainland supported increasing speed limits, according to the province.
Currently, under the Motor Vehicle Act, a municipality may establish a default speed limit of 50 km/h. To vary this speed limit, the municipality must pass a bylaw and post signs on all affected streets.
Victoria council is holding a special meeting to discuss these potential changes. The meeting will be held on Thursday, July 17 at 7 p.m. at Victoria City Hall.
Correspondence can be submitted by email to publichearings@victoria.ca or by mail to 1 Centennial Square, Victoria, B.C, V8W 1P6. Correspondence should be received by 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 16.
Members of the public can also speak at the meeting.
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