Reducing speed limits in school zones along major roads a shift from previous traffic safety strategy

A school crossing sign along a busy street in London. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)

A proposal to reduce speed limits within school zones along major roads would fill a safety gap left by a council decision eight years ago.

On Tuesday, the Civic Works Committee (CWC) discussed a staff recommendation to drop speed limits by 10 km/h in 30 school zones located on arterial roads within London.

“Ongoing collision monitoring reinforces the need to improve pedestrian safety,” the staff report reads. “Research supports the effectiveness of lower speed limits in decreasing traffic incidents.”

The reduced speed limits would only be enacted during school hours, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday between Sept. 1 and June 30.

Most of the school zones would go down to 40 km/h, but faster sections of Highbury Avenue, Oxford West, and Wellington South would be reduced to 50 km/h and 60 km/h.

"There's still, some very, very high numbers there. And is there anything we can do to bring that down or could we consider phasing it down over a period of time?” asked Coun. Sam Trosow. “It's just seems like a really fast speed for people to be going past schools."

"A speed limit, lowering of 20 km/h or more also incurs the requirement, based on the Highway Traffic Act, to post advanced warning signs,” explained Director of Transportation and Mobility Doug MacRae. “That would be an additional sign requirement."

In 2016, London began reducing speed limits to 40 km/h just around schools within residential neighbourhoods.

At the time, a staff report warned against lowering speed limits at schools on arterial roads, “The road classification along with the roadside environment greatly influences the speed that drivers will travel. It is likely that implementation of School Zone Speed Limits on arterial roads would have little or no impact on the speed of vehicles due to the driver environment on these roads.”

Eight years ago, council was also told that 24/7 application would simplify enforcement and, “Recognizes that schools are often used by vulnerable road users outside of traditional school hours.”

According to MacRae, the new proposal reflects changes in traffic safety policies, “The proposed approach in this report [in 2024] is to go towards the hours that schools are typically operating. It has a better fit with the Highway Traffic Act and better enforceability from what we're hearing from London police.”

He added that Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) photo radar units are now permitted in school zones to encourage compliance.

Installing 250 signs to create the new school speed zones would cost $30,000.

The reduced speed limits would roll out gradually this fall and be completed by the end of this year.

Members of CWC unanimously supported changing the speed limits.

Council will make a final decision July 23.