The city is looking to ease rules for neighbourhoods in Edmonton that want to reduce the speed limit in their area.
Edmonton’s speed reduction program requires a 100-per-cent-response rate to a survey asking neighbourhood residents if they would vote Yes or No to a 40 km/h speed limit, with two-thirds of respondents in favour before a change would be implemented.
In the future, the response rate required will only be 30 per cent, said Gary Dyck, spokesperson for the city’s transportation department.
“It makes it much more achievable,” Dyck said Tuesday.
The current process is onerous, cumbersome and arguably difficult, said Coun. Mike Nickel.
“Anything to cut the red tape and to get the community — if they want to lower the speed limit — faster to their goal, that’s got to be a good thing,” he said.
‘People tend to zoom through there’
There are a number of neighbourhoods in the city that would like to have the speed in their area reduced from 50 km/h to 40, including Hazeldean and Argyll, he said.
“The straight roads in the neighbourhoods, people tend to zoom through there,” Nickel said on Tuesday.
Some councillors have spoken in favour of dropping the speed limit in all residential neighbourhoods, something council will consider after a report is completed by administration in the spring.
But Nickel said it’s important to look at each neighbourhood individually because some don’t want speed limits changed.
“I’m never in favour of carpet bombing our neighbourhoods with a blanket policy,” Nickel said pointing to the policy on infill, which allows for 50-ft. lots to be subdivided.
“We have a lot of people across the city upset about lot splitting without appeal,” Nickel said. “I think we run the same risk here.”
The new rules could come in early in the new year.