Vancouver reducing speed limit to 30 km/h on residential streets

Slowing down on side streets will soon be mandatory in the City of Vancouver.

VANCOUVER, B.C. – It was a unanimous decision from an at-times divided Vancouver city council.

On Wednesday, councillors voted to drop the speed limit on what the city calls “minor” streets to 30 km/h.

Officials said lowering the speed limit from 50 km/h to 30 km/h has been shown to greatly reduce pedestrian fatality rates.

“The stats are just overwhelmingly positive if there’s an accident at lower speeds,” said Mayor Ken Sim on Wednesday.

The plan will be phased in, starting with signs being put up in 25 neighbourhoods.

“We’re a data-based administration and we look at the data,” Sim said. “We have a lot of different examples around the world where they slowed down the speed limit in residential neighbourhoods – they become safer.”

Council has also removed public consultation for speed humps – given the lack of pushback whenever they are proposed in a neighbourhood.

“Residents are still going to be informed when there are speed humps planned for their community,” said OneCity Coun. Lucy Maloney. “Usually we find residents are pretty happy to have speed humps because it stops people from running through their neighbourhoods at speed.”

The city said it will not enforce the decreased speed limit until signs are put up – and that process is expected to take months.