Get ready to slow down.
Town council has decided that speed limits on Oakville’s neighbourhood streets should drop to 40 km/h.
The reduced speed on all local and minor collector roads will come into effect over the next two to three years. Town staff will bring an implementation plan to council in September.
The surprise decision on a last-minute motion brought by Ward 1 regional councillor Sean O’Meara came during council’s Jan. 25 meeting.
Lower speed limits have been shown to reduce collisions and fatalities, O’Meara argued.
In 2012, Ontario’s chief coroner found people struck by a car travelling at 50 km/h were twice as likely to die than those struck by a car going 40 km/h.
Town of Oakville
Sean O'Meara
“The probability of a fatality is directly linked to speed,” said O’Meara. “The goal here is to change our culture.”
No consistent reduction in pilot projects
Council debated the change after receiving a staff report on a 40 km/h pilot project that found “implementation of the neighborhood 40 km/h signs did not result in a consistent reduction in operating speeds.”
About a year after installing 40 km/h signs in the West River neighbourhood, measured traffic speeds were roughly the same or slightly higher than before the change.
Similar results were seen in the Heritage Way neighbourhood eight months after signs were installed.
The staff report added that other Ontario municipalities that have implemented neighborhood 40 km/h speed zones have reported similar conclusions.
While recommending keeping the lower speed limit in the pilot project areas, town staff suggested “complementary measures,” such as traffic calming, enforcement and public education should be reviewed to accompany the lower speed.
Despite that, Ted Haugen from the West River Residents Association spoke in support of the community’s experience with the 40 km/h speed limit.
He suggested additional signs in more prominent locations, along with an intermittent police presence “would go a long way in bringing down speeds permanently.”
“Most issues come and go but speeding and traffic are far and away the number one ongoing concern that we’ve heard from our community members,” he added.
Public complaints
During debate over O’Meara’s motion, councillors repeatedly referred to the number of complaints they receive about neighbourhood speeding.
“I think it’s time to put a stake in the ground and say it’s time for change,” said Ward 3 councillor Janet Haslett-Theall. “And it is time to say that going slow in residential neighborhoods is your commitment to your neighbours to protect their kids and to protect our walkers and our cyclists and each other.”
But councillors also acknowledged that Oakville’s driving culture will need to change to bring down speeds.
“Just putting signs in is not going to do it, it’s got to be a package deal and it’s got to be ongoing education and enforcement,” said Ward 2 councillor Ray Chisholm. “This is a big deal – it’s not going to happen overnight.”
Despite the 13-2 vote in favour of dropping the speed limit to 40 km/h, several councillors expressed concerns about the potential cost and the ultimate effectiveness of the change.
“This is really more of a political decision than actually a decision based on data and evidence,” said Ward 6 councillor Natalia Lishchyna, who along with fellow Ward 6 councillor Tom Adams, voted against the motion.
After the vote, Mayor Rob Burton congratulated councillors.
“You have made history tonight, in that the single longest running issue from residents in my 27 years of life here in Oakville has finally been faced and actually been dealt with,” he said. “I do hope for success in the measures we are contemplating, and we’ll have a chance to review the measures at the September council meeting.”
Town staff will also provide a September report on the future use of photo radar speed cameras, officially known as Automated Speed Enforcement.
