Pilot project to see speed limit reduced in westside subdivision

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on August 31, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

Residents of Paradise Canyon/The Canyons and anyone driving through that area, may want to practice driving slower so they’re not caught off guard when the speed limit is reduced next month.
Beginning Sept. 15 the city is implementing a three-year pilot project to reduce the speed limit to 40 km-h in the subdivision, in an effort to increase road safety and reduce collisions.
“Road safety is one of our top priorities,” says Ahmed Ali, transportation engineering manager for the city.
Ali, who spoke to the media Wednesday during a news conference at the Canyons on the westside, said the pilot project is part of the city’s Road Safety Plan that was approved by council in 2021 to accomplish the goals of Vision Zero.
“It is aimed at reducing major injuries and fatalities to zero,” Ali said, adding the goal is to accomplish that task by 2040.
Paradise Canyon/The Canyons will be the first subdivision to begin the multi-year pilot project. Uplands/Blackwolf and the southern portion of Southgate are scheduled to be included later in the year.
Ali pointed out the annual cost of collisions in the city in terms of injuries, fatalities, and even property damage, is about $130 million.
“One hundred 30 million dollars is a big number for a city like Lethbridge, therefore we adopted that road collisions are avoidable and it is the responsibility of the municipality as a whole as part of our social responsibility.”
Ali said research indicates that a pedestrian has “zero” chance of survival if struck by a vehicle travelling 60 km-h. The percentage of survival increases, however, as speed decreases, and 20 per cent of people will survive if struck by a vehicle travelling 50 km-h, 60 per cent when a vehicle is travelling 40 km-h, and 90 per cent when struck by a vehicle travelling 30 km-h.
Paradise Canyon/The Canyons subdivision was chosen to kick off the pilot project because of the number of complaints about speeding vehicles. Eventually, however, the speed limit will be reduced in neighbourhoods across the city.
In addition to the residential speed limit pilot project, starting Tuesday, school and playground zones will be converted to year-round playground zones with a 30 km-h speed limit from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.
Ali said the new zones will help protect the city’s most vulnerable population.
“We want to save lives,” Ali said.
The success of the project depends on motorists, however. Ali said police are on board with the reduced speed limits, but motorists must be willing to comply.
“We hope people will follow the speed limit.”
Kristen Saturley, strategic communications manager with the Lethbridge Police Service, said police will be enforcing the speed limits throughout the city.
“Motorists are expected to obey all posted speed limits and anyone caught speeding may be ticketed,” Saturday said.
Data on the residential speed limit pilot project will be collected during the project, and there will be multiple opportunities for residents to provide feedback. Residents can give input any time by completing the “how has the residential speed limit pilot affected you?” survey, or they can go online to getinvolvedlethbridge.ca/speed-limit-pilot for more information.

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