In an attempt to improve safety, Calgary city councillors are exploring a speed limit reduction in residential communities.
A Notice of Motion was submitted by councillors on Tuesday to set the default speed limit on neighbourhood streets at 30 km/h. Currently, the majority of community roads in Calgary have a speed limit of 50 km/h.
“Improving neighbourhood street safety, comfort and livability are top priorities for communities across Calgary,” said Ward 7 Councillor Druh Farrell in a statement. “Calgarians want safer streets, and reducing neighbourhood speed limits is an important part of the equation.”
Ward 9 Councillor Gian-Carlo Carra says council owes it to Calgarians to make neighbourhoods safer. “Emerging global best practices and research demonstrate that 30 km/h is the right speed where pedestrians mix unprotected with vehicles.”
According to the World Health Organization, pedestrians struck by a vehicle travelling at 30 km/h have a 90 per cent chance of surviving. The survival rate plummets below 20 per cent when a pedestrian is hit at 50 km/h.
The Notice will be debated in council on Monday, September 10.
