Victoria to lower speed limit to 30 km/h on neighbourhood streets
Drivers in Victoria's Hillside-Quadra neighbourhood will be the first to experience the city's new default speed limit of 30km/h on residential streets starting this spring.
The lower speed limit will replace the current limit of 50km/h starting May 1.
The new limit applies to local streets, typically in residential areas, which do not have a centre line and are used by fewer than 1,000 vehicles per day, according to the City of Victoria.
Speed limits on major roads like Blanshard Street, Hillside Avenue, Cook Street and Shelbourne Street will remain at 50km/h.
Following the change in Hillside-Quadra, the city will focus on implementing the new 30km/h limit in the Burnside-Gorge area this fall, followed by the Oaklands neighbourhood in the winter.
"Slower speeds are just one of the strategies we are implementing to achieve Vision Zero – the elimination of traffic fatalities and serious injuries on our roadways," the city says on its website explaining the shift.
"Vision Zero is an international best practice and included in Go Victoria, our sustainable mobility strategy."
City staff cite B.C. government statistics showing that a pedestrian hit by a vehicle travelling 50km/h has an 80 per cent chance of dying from their injuries, while a pedestrian struck at 30km/h has a 10 per cent chance of being killed.
The decision follows a similar move in Saanich, where council voted earlier this month to lower speed limits to 40km/h along nine major routes.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Another suspect arrested in Toronto Pearson airport gold heist: police
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Trump hush money trial: Play-by-play on Day 2 of Stormy Daniels testimony
Adult film star Stormy Daniels took the stand for a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump's hush money case continues in Manhattan.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street
B.C. wildfires likely to spread with weekend temperatures expected to soar, province says
Wildfire and emergency management officials in British Columbia are urging residents to be prepared for increased fire activity as temperatures are expected to soar above 30 C in parts of the province this weekend.
Wilfrid Laurier football player drafted despite only playing 27 games in his entire life
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.