Default speed limit drops to 40 km/h on Aug. 6
Edmonton's new default speed limit in residential and downtown areas will take effect in one month.
Starting Aug. 6, the speed limit in those areas will drop from 50 km/h to 40 km/h.
According to the director of the city's Safe Mobility program, people who are struck by a vehicle at the lower speed are much more likely to survive the crash.
"So what we're doing is we're really increasing safety for people who are living in their neighbourhoods," Jessica Lamarre told media on Friday, speaking on a sidewalk in King Edward Park community, whose residents will be some of many across the city affected by the change.
"We're using streets for more than just vehicle travel. We're using them to gather as a community, to go to the playground, to walk to school, and so we want to make those streets more safer and really to create a space that's more livable for everyone."
"The number one neighbourhood concern on any citizen survey we've given, all the way back to the early 90s before I started… has been traffic," Insp. Keith Johnson, who leads Edmonton Police Service's traffic services branch, added. "It's speed, it's distracted driving. It's going through stop signs."
GRACE PERIOD
The city is launching a public awareness campaign to tell people about the change, and drivers will have a grace period from Aug. 6 to Sept. 1 to get used to it.
During those weeks leading up to the new school year, people caught violating the rule will receive a warning rather than ticket, unless they're caught violating traffic laws excessively.
Lamarre said the city's research suggests the large majority of Edmontonians respect speed limits, and so she doesn't expect "huge jumps" in enforcement.
Signs will also be posted at city limits to inform drivers coming into the city.
Both Lamarre and the EPS have touted the change as one supportive of the city's Vision Zero goal by 2032.
According to Johnson, EPS' major collisions unit is investigating 10 fatal crashes in 2021. It counted 12 I 2020.
Lowering the default speed limit cost the city $1 million and was funded by the Traffic Safety Automated Enforcement Reserve, not tax levy.
A map of the changes and more information is available online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.