ON March 27, the City of Vancouver is launching its first pilot to reduce speed limits in nine school zones adjacent to arterials and collectors.
The pilot is one of the ongoing measures the City is taking to advance its Vision Zero efforts to eliminate all traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries. Studies show that lowering vehicle speeds can significantly reduce the impact and likelihood of crashes and make our streets safer for people who walk, bike and roll.
“We all have a role to play in reducing traffic-related injuries and fatalities,” said Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim on Thursday. “This pilot is just one of the many steps we are taking towards making Vancouver’s streets safer for children, seniors, and people with disabilities.”
The pilot will run exclusively at elementary schools, as elementary school-aged children are more vulnerable road users than high school-aged students. Seven of the nine schools included in the pilot and the corresponding streets impacted by the speed reduction from 50 to 40 kilometres per hour on arterials are:
- Dr. Annie B Jamieson – 600-700 West 49th Avenue
- John Norquay – 4600-4700 Slocan Street
- Florence Nightingale – 400 East 12th Avenue
- Dr. George M Weir – 5900 Rupert Street
- Stratford Hall – 3000-3100 Commercial Drive
- Henry Hudson – 1900 Cornwall Street
- šxʷwəq̓ʷəθət (Crosstown) – 0 Expo Boulevard
The following schools are situated on collector routes where the speed limit will be reduced to 30 km/h from 50 km/h.
- Sir Wilfrid Laurier – 800 West 57th Avenue
- Waverly – 6100-6200 Elliott Street
The selected locations represent a wide variety of schools, road uses and street configurations and are located on the city’s east and west sides. The speed limits will be in effect during school hours only (8a.m.-5 p.m. school days).
Speed limits for school zones on the Major Road Network (MRN) (e.g., Kingsway, Clark Drive/Knight Street, Broadway, 41st Avenue) will remain unchanged.
To alert drivers to the new speed limits, we will be installing regulatory signs and localized signage at the schools. Community Policing Centre volunteers will also be at some locations to provide support through the Speed Watch program to raise awareness among drivers of their speeds in real-time.
Staff will report back to Council in spring 2024 with data results and public feedback. This pilot will provide information on expanding the speed limit reduction to additional Vancouver elementary schools.
About collectors and arterials
An arterial is a street that generally has two or more moving lanes, has traffic signals, may be designated a truck and bus route, and is intended to serve through traffic. Arterials are often subject to rush-hour parking or turning restrictions. They are generally wider and move high volumes of traffic. Examples include 12th Avenue, Commercial Drive, Expo Boulevard, and 49th Avenue.
A collector is a street that collects traffic from local streets to access arterial streets. They have typically low to moderate volumes of traffic. Examples include West 33rd Avenue, Blenheim Street, Elliott Street, and East 29th Avenue east of Nanaimo Street.
More information can be found on the Vision Zero web page.
