Despite ICBC reporting a downward trend in crashes involving injuries in Victoria, the city is moving toward lowering speed limits on a number of streets to reduce traffic fatalities.
At a committee of the whole meeting on Thursday, Dec. 5, Victoria council members discussed whether speed limits should be reduced as low as 30 km/h on some city streets.
According to a staff report to council, as a result of past initiatives, 40-per cent of the cityB次元官网网址檚 100 kilometres of arterial and collector streets are posted at 40 km/h or less; and the remaining 60-per cent of streets are unposted with the default 50km/h speed limit. Streets outside of downtown with six lanes, including Blanshard Street and Douglas Street north of Calidonia, could see reductions down to 50 km/h from 60 km/h.
Arterial streets with fewer than six lanes, that are planned for modifications, collector streets that aren't recommended for 30 km/h limits and streets within the downtown core could see reductions down to 40 km/h
Collector streets with narrow cross-sections, collector streets that front parks and playgrounds, schools or village centres, and collector streets with characteristics such as "significant curvature, or existing traffic calming features" could see reductions down to 30 km/h.
"Establishing lower speed limits for the arterial and collector streets is a low-cost and important part of improving safety on our major network. Changes will provide increased consistency and predictability for users while still supporting regional mobility needs. As population densities, travel patterns and land use changes, speed limits will continue to be adjusted and refined in the future to advance towards the cityB次元官网网址檚 Vision Zero goal," noted the report.
Research from the National Association of Transportation Officials recommends maximum speed limits of 30km/h or 40 km/h on major streets in an urban environment, with higher speed limits only in limited cases. Currently, 42 kilometres of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 major street network is already posted at 40 km/h or slower, 30-per cent of which is on the truck route network, and 60-per cent on the transit network. A total of 160 kilometres of Victoria streets are expected to be reduced to 30 km/h by the end of 2025.
"When it comes to the issues of speeding, I think this is great," said Coun. Stephen Hammond. "And 30km/h is slow, there's no doubt about that, but it's fine, it's just getting used to it."
Coun. Jeremy Caradonna agreed with Hammond, explaining that as a parent of school-aged children he likes the reductions, as slower moving vehicles are less deadly, and cause less harm if someone were to be struck.
Between 2013 and 2023, the city saw between zero and three traffic-related fatalities each year, with an average of two fatalities annually, according to the report.
"Victorians are driving less over time, and have reduced trip volumes. And accidents are actually down as well since 2019," said Caradonna. "It's been a long time coming and I think we're moving in the right direction and I'm happy to be in the vanguard on this and I think that the data outcomes will prove that this is worthwhile over time."
Mayor Marianne Alto mentioned how traffic and pedestrian safety has become an "important part" of the broader conversation around community safety and well-being.
"I think it's important for us to tie the details of all of this, with all of the information that has been shared and comments that have been made, into that larger conversation about peoples perception and reality around community safety," said Alto also thanking staff members for the work on the report.
The committee voted unanimously to direct staff to prepare amendments to the Streets and Traffic Bylaw, and the motion will be voted on again at a future council meeting.
