Reducing residential speed limits from 50 kilometers an hour to 40, will be discussed by Regional Council during Tuesday’s meeting.
“People are feeling their safety is compromised currently with the amount of speeding that takes place, like everyone is in a hurry,” Counc. Lorelei Nicoll said, a member of the Transportation Standing Committee.
Nicoll says while some speed reduction measures are in place, like humps and bumps, she believes a reduction in the speed limit will further discourage drivers from hitting the gas.
While the municipality oversees speed control measures like the “traffic calming policy,” the province is the only governing body that has the authority to reduce the speed limit.
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It’s an authoritative measure that Nicoll hopes the province will transfer over to the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM).
The province is in the middle of finalizing the results of a pilot project that looked at the benefits of reduced speed limits.
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Ten residential streets have been studied over the past year; the speed limit on those streets were dropped to 40 km/h.
Data is still being analyzed on whether or not that change made any impact on speeding, and the province has no firm timeline on when the information will be released to the public.
In the meantime, council will discuss on Tuesday whether a request will be submitted to the province to reduce the residential speed limit.
Some citizens believe reducing the speed limit isn’t the most effective way to deter speeding in residential areas.
“I think reducing the speed looks good on paper but in reality, in order to have an effect on how people are driving, you’ve got to put in more crosswalks and have more stop signs,” Amy Crowley, a Halifax resident said.
The motion to submit the request is on councils agenda for Tuesday’s meeting.
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