Live in Sidney, Central Saanich, Esquimalt or Oak Bay? Say yes to 30 km/h

With Saanich, Victoria and View Royal all saying yes to a 30 km/h pilot on our residential streets, attention now turns to the rest of the region. This Monday Sidney, Central Saanich, Esquimalt and Oak Bay are all talking about joining the 30 km/h pilot. So if you live or work in these municipalities, now is the time to let your council know that you support 30 km/h.

Why 30 km/h?

Research shows that 30 km/hr is the speed limit that someone is likely to survive being struck by an automobile. The world is moving to 30 km/h, lead by the World Health Organization and the United Nations. School zones are 30km/hr to protect children – why don’t we protect them in the areas where they live and play?

Within North America, the National Association of City Transportation Officials recently released their City Limits: Setting Safe Speeds on Urban Streets guide, which says the following:

“maximum recommended speed limit for any minor street is 20 mph. The maximum recommended speed limits are based primarily on speeds that minimize risk to pedestrians and cyclists”

This isn’t just theoretical. Toronto recently changed the speed limits on some of their local streets from 40 km/h to 30 km/h and found a 28% drop in crashes.

What sort of streets would this apply to?

Any street in the area without a centreline, which are mostly local streets, alleys and similar small streets. Streets that look a lot like the streets below:

How you can help

Thanks for sending your emails – tune in tonight to here what Oak Bay, Central Saanich, Esquimalt and Sidney decide.