How slow will you go? City hall is planning a one-two punch to put the brakes on speeders in London, Ont.
A new report recommends council slash speed limits to 40 km/hour in residential neighbourhoods and on several downtown streets.
Speeds on collector roads like Wellington and Wharncliffe would not change.
Councillor Mo Salih says speeding on residential streets is one of the most common safety concerns raised by residents.
"It’s an opportunity to consider how to find effective ways of addressing speeders in particular neighbourhoods and hopefully making the neighbourhood safer.”
Though a survey of Londoners found only 52 per cent supported lowering speeds, staff say slower speeds will make collisions less serious.
There were 161 collisions involving pedestrians or cyclists between 2015 and 2017 on London streets, with the highest number in the core.
Installing new speed limit signs would cost about one million dollars and be phased in over four years.
The second part of city hall’s strategy is found in a separate report going to the Civic Works Committee.
Municipalities have recently received permission to install photo radar in community safety zones and around schools.
The report recommends London operate a mobile system with up to seven units to target areas with excessive speeding.
Salih says enforcement of new speed limits is crucial, “I was one of the supporters of looking into speed cameras because I think that really can have more of an impact on reducing speeding in particular in neighbourhoods with school children.”
Photo radar would cost about a million dollars a year, but fines are predicted to offset those costs.
The Civic Works Committee will consider lowering neighbourhood speed limits and endorsing photo radar on Tuesday.
