Signs are now up for new 40 km/hour speed limits in two Campbell River neighbourhoods.
Drivers will see 40km/hour signs as they turn off a main street onto a local street in these neighbourhoods. In the Quinsam Heights neighbourhood, signs are posted for drivers turning off Petersen Road onto Cheviot Road, Hopton Road and Kathleen Road, as well as Spruce Street hill, prior to Treelane Road. The North Penfield neighbourhood is behind the Sportsplex (Penfield Road, Juniper Drive, Meadowbrook Drive, Fern Drive).
“At the July 30 meeting, Council approved lowering the speed limit in these two neighbourhoods for improved safety and livability. Lower speed limits should encourage more walking and cycling, especially in areas without sidewalks,” Drew Hadfield, the city’s director of operations, says in a press release. “Staff will monitor the effects of lower speeds during this trial period, and report back to Council this spring.”
“At lower speeds, a driver is more likely to be able to stop a vehicle in reaction to an unexpected hazard related to a child, deer, cat or dog, for example,” says Melissa Heidema, the city’s transportation specialist. “Also, if a collision occurs, the severity is drastically reduced at lower speeds. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle is significantly more likely to survive if the vehicle is traveling at a lower speed.”
The North Penfield and Cheviot Road neighbourhoods were selected because they require few sign changes, allowing reduced speed limits to go into effect quickly, with costs for new signs covered by the city’s current roads budget, and the RCMP supported the change.
“Also, these neighbourhoods are accessed through local streets with low traffic volumes and relatively low speeds, and they contain school zones, playground zones or bike routes, so we’ll be able to assess effects on a variety of activities,” Hadfield adds. “We’ll also be including any feedback from residents in our spring report, and we encourage people to all the transportation department with comments.”
People can reach the City’s transportation specialist by email to transportation@campbellriver.ca or call City Hall 250-286-5700.
The City’s website has been updated. Within the new 40 km/hour zones, playground zones and school zones still apply. These are posted at 30 km/hour. Playground zones are in effect from dawn to dusk, seven days a week. School zones are in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., school days.
The speed limit for other roads in Campbell River is 50 km/hour, unless otherwise posted.