Speed limit pilot project gets green light at council

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Drivers will soon have to pump the brakes while driving through four Winnipeg neighbourhoods, after council gave the green light on a pilot project lowering speed limits.

The pilot project, approved last April, will see speed limits drop for a year in four Winnipeg areas. However, council still needed to vote to amend two bylaws allowing the project to move forward.

Drivers will need to drive 30 km/h in the Bourkevale and Tyndall Park South neighbourhoods, and 40 km/h in the Richmond West and the Worthington neighbourhoods.

"This is truly about quality of life as we densify our city," said Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West), chair of the public works committee.

The city chose these four areas – two newly constructed and two older ones – to get data on neighbourhood layouts and make recommendations for future speed limit changes.

"I think that it's really time. It's time that we do and we move forward with this," said Coun. Cindy Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre). "There's lots of municipalities that are moving with the reduced speeds. I think it is really important that we do a pilot so that we can see where those speeds are needed."

Not all councillors were onboard with the project. Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) opposed the move at council Thursday.

"Everyone understands vehicles are dangerous. They can cause great harm to pedestrians if they are hit. That is why we have rules in Manitoba," he said. "It is upon everybody who uses the road – drivers, pedestrians, cyclists – you have to be very careful. These are shared spaces in many cases."

He said a 50 km/h speed limit on residential streets is prudent. He brought up concerns of signing, saying if some residential streets speed limits are changed, the city will have to post speed limit signs on every one of them.

"I support road safety, but this is not the path we need to take."

A majority of council voted in favour of the move, with the bylaw amendments receiving a third reading Thursday.

Lukes told CTV News with these bylaw changes passed, the project can now move forward. She said she expects the project will get underway in the spring, but said more announcements will be released in the coming days.

- With files from CTV's Jeff Keele