Council has been debating the merits of introducing time of day speed limits for school zones across the city. When the City introduced 40 km/hr on all local residential streets a few years ago, a concurrent reduction to 30 km/hr in school zones was also approved. When residents started getting fined by automated speed enforcement cameras, they balked at the reduction, saying 30 km/hr was too slow, especially during non-school hours.
Arguments for enforcing the 30 km/hr limit 24 hours a day, 7 days a week include:
- Schools and their greenspaces are community hubs, used more than just during school hours
- Maintaining the speed limit at all times helps motorists familiarize themselves with driving slower in school zones all the time
- The slower speed is only for a small stretch of road, adding perhaps 12 seconds on average to a driver’s commute
- Supports the Council-approved Vision Zero goal of eliminating fatalities and serious injuries from motor vehicle collision
Arguments for time of day enforcement include
- School zones see the most vulnerable road users (students, pedestrians, cyclists) before, during and shortly after school hours
- Drivers can avoid the annoyance of being ticketed for driving too fast in a school zone in the evening or middle of the night
Studies have clearly shown that for every 10 km/hr reduction in speed, the risk of a motor vehicle collision causing a serious injury or a fatality is drastically reduced. However, many have also argued that enforcing a 30 km/hr speed limit at midnight discredits the automated speed enforcement program as well as the school zone safety initiatives.
I recently conducted a survey to ask what residents prefer when considering enforcement of speed limits in school zones. From the 985 responses submitted, two-thirds preferred time of day speed limits.
