Starting this spring, six Edmonton neighbourhoods will be taking part in a pilot project aimed at creating safer communities.
The residential speed limits in those areas will be reduced from 50km/h to 40km/h. Starting in May, the program will run for six months with the results being collected and analyzed by the City of Edmonton Office of Traffic Safety.
Several neighbourhoods were considered, but a detailed analysis indicated the communities most appropriate for the project were: Woodcroft, Beverley Heights, Ottewell, King Edward Park, Westridge/Wolf Willow and Twin Brooks.
The six communities were chosen based on:
- the extent of the speeding problem (speeding complaints, the difference between posted and observed speeds) within the neighbourhood;
- the number and type of collisions occurring on the neighbourhood streets;
- the traffic volume (in comparison to the capacities of the streets with speeding issues); and
- the nature of each neighbourhood based on the number of playgrounds and schools, proximity to highways and community consciousness (reflected by the number of impaired driving reports.)
Several tactics will be utilized to enforce the new speed limits including increased signage and digital speed display signs, in addition to community programs including Speed Watch and the Pace Car program.