Cost, possible law changes slowing move to bring lower speeds near Edmonton playgrounds

A new report says it would cost more than $600,000 to change the speed limit signs outside Edmonton’s playgrounds.

The city is looking at lowering speed limits outside playgrounds, just as it’s done in school zones. However, the report heading to city council’s Community and Public Services Committee says a potential change to the City Charter could open the door for Edmonton to more easily set its own speed limits across the board.

It would give the ability for “cities to vary certain portions of the Traffic Safety Act, such as the default speed limits,” the report said. Edmonton’s administration said it would then conduct a “city-wide holistic speed limit review.”

If the charter isn’t in effect this year, city staff recommend looking at the spring capital budget early in 2018 to have a plan in place for the start of school in September of next year.

There are 36 playgrounds that currently “benefit from 30 km/h speed reduction because they are covered by existing school zones between 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.”

However, since children play at playgrounds outside of school hours, and on non-school days, “even those partially covered by reduced speed limits are not necessarily safe,” the report said.

Scroll down to read the full report on playground speed limits.

There are another 178 playground locations that, at $1,500 per location, would cost $267,000 to replace with 30 km/h signs. There are another 230 locations where they’d have to change school zone signs to playground signs. All together, the total estimated cost is $612,000.

“Implementing new playground speed limits would be accompanied by an awareness campaign. The estimated cost of a driver education campaign to promote awareness of the expanded playground zone program is $100,000, which will be covered within the existing Traffic Safety operating budget,” the report said.

The report also boasted success from the speed limit change in school zones, pointing out injury collisions were reduced by 43 per cent, while injury collisions for “vulnerable road users,” like pedestrians and cyclists, were reduced by 71 per cent. The average speed was reduced by 12 km/h.

The report looked at five other cities — Vancouver, Saskatoon, Ottawa, Toronto and Calgary — and said only Vancouver has a stand-alone playground speed limit in place, while Toronto and Calgary mix playgrounds in with schools.

Council’s Community and Public Services Committee will review the report June 8.

June 8 Edmonton report: Playground Speed Limits by Anonymous TdomnV9OD4 on Scribd