Through neighbourhood traffic reviews over the past seven years, many residents expressed interest in having speed limits reduced. As part of our follow up on these requests from residents and as requested by City Council, we reviewed the residential speed limit, current school zones, potential playground zones and potential senior zones.

Lowering speed on residential streets was proposed, but not endorsed by the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation. No broad changes will be made to residential street speed limits.

School, Playground, and Senior Zones

As part of the Speed Limit Review, City Council directed Administration to also review speed limits related to school zones, streets next to playgrounds, and areas with a high number of seniors.

Based on best practices, technical considerations, and stakeholder and public feedback, Administration developed options and recommendations for consideration by City Council on Monday, November 22, 2021.

On November 22, 2021 City Council approved the following:

1. New playground zones with reduced speed limits of 30 km/h;
2. Year-round lower speed limits in both school and playground zones 7 days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
3. Adjustments to posted signs and length of current school zones;
4. Removal of lower speed school zones from high schools, designating them a “school area” where U-turns are still restricted. 

Other approved items:

• Senior Zones – There will not be a new program for Senior Zones. The City will continue to consider potential traffic safety measures such as increasing pedestrian crossing times at signalized intersections, pedestrian devices, traffic calming, enhanced pavement markings, and improved street lighting where appropriate;
• Implementation – That the approved changes are all made in 2022;
• A Safety Review will be completed for pedestrian crossings across arterial streets where an elementary school zone will be removed from an arterial street. Recommendations from these reviews will be prioritized along with other Neighbourhood Traffic Review implementation projects.
• That the Administration report back on the costs, grant options, and feasibility of a Speed Watch program, with a plan to adopt such a program or carry out a limited pilot project to help assess its worth.
• That this report be forwarded to the 2022-2023 Multi-Year Budget Review meeting for addition to the Capital Budget Options for potential Reserve for Capital Expenditures (RCE) funding and for addition to the Capital Budget Options funded for RCE and reprioritization of transportation capital from 2022; and
• That the City Solicitor be requested to prepare the appropriate bylaw amendments to Bylaw No. 7200, The Traffic Bylaw.

Past Engagement

An online survey was open for responses from March 2 through April 30. This survey was also conducted by telephone. Thank you for taking the time to provide your input.

How was my input used?

The public surveys were considered in the decisions and most people were in favour of creating playground zones and removing school zones from high schools. Where the surveys didn’t support a change was in extending the hours for the school zones. This recommendation considered feedback from residents through the Neighbourhood Traffic Reviews and what City Councillors were hearing from their constituents. Children attend events at the school and play in playgrounds year-round and beyond the current 8 am-5 pm hours.

City Councillors agreed that year-round school and playground zones would improve safety for children and debated the hours of operation. In the end, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. was selected because it was easy to remember, it’s consistent with Regina, and it allows more time for before and after school activities.

365 days a year operation of school zones decreases the amount of awareness drivers must have with respect to the day of the week or time of year it is while passing through these zones. It also promotes consistency throughout the City with playground zones which are often used during summer months and weekends.

An Information Report including a summary of public engagement was provided to the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation for their consideration. A summary of public survey excerpts is also available. 

Speed Limits on Residential Streets

City Council did not approve any blanket speed reductions for streets in residential areas. You can review the discussions in the September Standing Policy Committee meeting minutes and September Council meeting minutes for more information.

School, Playground, and Senior Zones

As part of the Speed Limit Review, City Council directed Administration to also review speed limits related to school zones, streets next to playgrounds, and areas with a high number of seniors.

Based on best practices, technical considerations, and stakeholder and public feedback, Administration developed options for consideration.

On November 22, 2021 City Council approved the following: 

School Zones

• Elementary school zones will remain with some adjustments to school zone limits in some circumstances (for example, excluding signalized intersections from the zone, distance from the school, etc.)
• High school zones will be changed to school areas only without a reduced speed limit. Pedestrians of a high school age are typically better able to understand traffic and to control their own movements.
• School zones established for existing pre-schools will not be removed. Pre-schools do not qualify for a reduced speed zone but all pre-schools are currently in a school zone due to adjacent high schools or elementary schools.
• Revise existing hours for school zones to be in effect all months of the year, 7 days a week, from 7:00AM to 7:00PM.
• Zone limits will be minimized where possible.
• For local streets in residential areas only, an "End School Zone" sign will replace the maximum speed sign to go back to the original speed limit.

Playground Zones

• Based on an assessment of Saskatoon parks, 69 of 222 parks would be eligible for a playground zone. Playground zones are to be marked with:
  • a new sign for a 30 km/h speed limit and the effective times and applicable days; and
  • a sign denoting the end of the zone.
• Implement hours for playground zones to be in effect all months of the year, 7 days a week, from 7:00AM to 7:00PM.

Senior Zones

• Reduced speed limits in senior zones were not recommended.
• We will continue to consider potential countermeasures, such as increasing pedestrian crossing times at signalized intersections, pedestrian devices, traffic calming, enhanced pavement markings, and improved street lighting where appropriate.

Other approved items: 

• Implementation - That the approved changes are all made in 2022. Removal of school zones from high schools is dependent on having appropriate pedestrian devices in place. 
• A Safety Review will be completed for pedestrian crossings across arterial streets where an elementary school zone will be removed from an arterial street. Recommendations from these reviews will be prioritized along with other Neighbourhood Traffic Review implementation projects.
• That the Administration report back on the costs, grant options, and feasibility of a Speed Watch program, with a plan to adopt such a program or carry out a limited pilot project to help assess its worth.
• That this report be forwarded to the 2022-2023 Multi-Year Budget Review meeting for addition to the Capital Budget Options for potential Reserve for Capital Expenditures (RCE) funding and for addition to the Capital Budget Options funded for RCE and reprioritization of transportation capital from 2022; and
• That the City Solicitor be requested to prepare the appropriate bylaw amendments to Bylaw No. 7200, The Traffic Bylaw.

You can find more information on the options and recommendations in the Decision Report that was presented to the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation on November 1, 2021.

Neighbourhood Maps of Zone Recommendations

To see a map of how the above recommendations would impact your neighbourhood, you can select it from the dropdown menu below.

Why are speed limits being reviewed?

Vehicle speed and pedestrian safety in residential neighbourhoods have been the top concerns we've heard from citizens through the Neighbourhood Traffic Review program, with many telling us they are interested in having speed limits lower than 50 km/h on residential streets.

Studies show that lower speeds can help prevent collisions and dramatically reduce the chance of severe injury or death for pedestrians or cyclists who are hit by vehicles. Lower speed limits on residential streets would have little impact on travel times for drivers.

Considerations

Click the arrows on the boxes below to find out more on why the City is considering lower speed limits in residential neighbourhoods. You can click on the images to view larger versions.

How would this affect my neighbourhood?

There are three different types of streets with residences on them in Saskatoon:

• Local streets make up the majority of streets in residential neighbourhoods. They usually have lower volumes of traffic and their main function is for access to residences.
• Collector streets have higher volumes of traffic and provide access to schools, parks, and community centres, and often have bus routes. Some examples include Richardson Road, Assiniboine Drive, Kingsmere Boulevard, and Stensrud Road. Here is a map of all collector streets in Saskatoon.
• Arterial Streets are typically around the boundary of a neighbourhood and connect to other neighbourhoods, have higher volumes of traffic, and sometimes have more than one travel lane in each direction. Some examples include segments of Diefenbaker Drive, Spadina Crescent, and Taylor Street. Here is a map of all arterial streets in Saskatoon.

To see a map of estimated impacts to travel times in your neighbourhood if speed limits are reduced, you can select it from the dropdown menu below. Please note these maps present impacts to travel times if Council chooses to reduce speed limits in residential neighbourhoods and include both collector streets and arterial streets in the speed reduction.