Vancouver debates moving to 30 km/h speed limit on minor streets
A report to city council details how other major global urban centres such as London, England, saw traffic collisions drop by 42 per cent after lowering their own speed limits.
Vancouver's default speed limit is currently 50 km/h, with exceptions for school and park zones and a stretch of East Hastings near Main Street.
If approved, the lower speed limit would apply to all 'local streets that do not have a painted centre line and are in a residential area.'
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Pumping the brakes on speed limits on Vancouver side-streets
It also proposes a phased rollout of new signage targeting 25 select neighbourhoods in order to 'facilitate the ability to enforce speed limits.'
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Along with the slower speed limit, council will also discuss adopting a 'vision zero' strategy aimed at rethinking its road safety programs.
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'There are such negative effects for society of so many crashes, you know our insurance premiums are too high, our health care costs that we pay taxes for are too high,' OneCity Coun. Lucy Maloney told Global News.
'And it's avoidable because we know what works to avoid deaths and injuries; there have been a number of studies around the world.'
Maloney said City of Vancouver research also concluded that half of pedestrian injuries and deaths involve seniors, who make up just one-fifth of the city's population.
She said she's hopeful changes can be made to improve safety for the city's elders at intersections.
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