Transportation committee to review speed limits on residential streets

Reduced speed limits in Saskatoon will be discussed at City Council’s Standing Policy Committee on Transportation meeting on Tuesday, September 7. The Administration recommends lowering the speed limit to 40 km/h on local and collector streets in residential areas. The Committee’s recommendation will be debated at the September 30 City Council meeting.

In 2018, City Council asked the Administration to develop a detailed framework for revising posted speed limits on neighbourhood streets.  Council members have received repeated concerns over speeding, and these concerns were also expressed at neighbourhood traffic review engagement events. A report with technical information and survey results from residents following a review of the issue was presented to the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation in June. The collision data and traffic safety best practices validate that lower speeds on residential streets will reduce the number of collisions and the seriousness of traffic-related injury and fatalities.

The majority (65%) of respondents from an open survey (14,970 respondents) prefer no change to the speed limit on all streets, whereas about half (52%) of a third-party supplemental survey (414 respondents from a cross-section of neighbourhoods and demographics) prefer a speed limit lower than 50 km/h on local streets in residential areas. 

The Administration prepared options for the Committee’s consideration after an extensive review of speed data on local and collector streets in Saskatoon’s residential neighbourhoods and a review of speed limits in other Canadian cities.

Once City Council makes a decision about changing speed limits, the Administration will present options for speed limits in school and playground zones, as well as areas of high concentration of seniors and dedicated neighbourhood bikeways. An overall implementation plan will follow based on the final direction from City Council.

Project information is available at saskatoon.ca/engage/speed-limit-review.