CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C- Council has adopted a slower pace for two Campbell River neighbourhoods.
In their meeting on July 30th, Campbell River City Council approved using the North Penfield and Cheviot Road areas as trial zones for a 40 km/hr speed limit.
According to a press release from the city, the trial was approved to improve ‘safety and livability’. Results will be assessed by city staff and include public feedback – they will presented to council in the spring of 2019.
In a report prepared by Melissa Heidema, Transportation Specialist, she said lower speeds make roads safer, encourage walking and cycling, and mean that a car is more likely to stop in time should they need to.
The report also noted that the severity of a collision is “drastically reduced” if a vehicle is moving at a slower speed.
“The average risk of severe injury for a pedestrian struck by a vehicle varies significantly by speed:
At 26km/hr, the risk of severe injury is 10%
At 37km/hr, the risk of severe injury is 25%
At 50km/hr, the risk of severe injury is 50%
At 62km/hr, the risk of severe injury is 75%
At 74km/hr, the risk of severe injury is 90%
Every 10km/hr lower makes a difference.”
According to the city, the two trial areas were chosen because they both require few sign changes, with costs covered by the City’s current roads budget.
The two neighbourhoods are accessed through local streets that have low traffic volumes and relatively low speeds, they also contain existing school zones, playground zones or bike routes.
Dates have not yet been chosen for implementing the new speeed limits, however the city will be updating their website with that information.
