Hitting the brakes: Why this group of Winnipeggers wants the speed limit dropped city-wide

A group of Winnipeggers concerned about pedestrian safety wants the city to bring down the default speed limit from 50 km/h to 30 km/h.

"When you look around at the amount of collisions and injuries and fatalities on the roads, there's obviously a relationship with speed," said Clayton Rudy, an engineer who specializes in road safety.

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Rudy is part of Safe Speeds Winnipeg, the organization that's in talks with the city about lowering the default speed.

The idea is that a pedestrian hit by a moving vehicle moving at a slower speed has a higher chance of surviving. Rudy said other Canadian cities have looked into project pilots and studies with the same goal.

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"It's not just on residential roads, but all roads in the city is 50 unless otherwise posted," he said. "So from the highest speed road like McGillivray at 80 km/h to a cul de sac."

The change wouldn't prevent the city from setting speed limits that are higher than 30 km/h, Rudy said. It would also make things more efficient for city council. Instead of dealing with multiple requests to lower the speed limit around certain intersections, they might have fewer requests to increase it.

The group has been advocating for the change since earlier this year. That's when the Manitoba government passed a bill that places the responsibility for setting speed limits squarely on the shoulders of municipalities.

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About 60 people showed up to a presentation from Safe Speeds Winnipeg on Thursday night at the Old Grace Housing Co-op in Wolseley.

Jessica Gonzalez said she supports the idea of slowing things down on the streets. The Wolseley mom of three has heard about pedestrian collisions in Winnipeg recently and wants safer spaces for her children, although she does admit the change might not be for everyone.

"Speeding is a problem all over the city. Even at 50," she said.

"But I think at least this initiative lowers the bar … so that there's a consequence to going 50. I think anything we can do to encourage drivers to slow down to be safe, to be extra cautious — I think that's just a courteous and respectful and safe thing to do."

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Safe Speeds Winnipeg says it's been in talks with the city, while councillors are looking at transportation and traffic calming systems. 

In an email, Coun. Matt Allard, the head of the standing policy committee on infrastructure renewal and public works,  said the city is undertaking a long-term, comprehensive road safety plan that will determine the direction, and pace, of road safety investments. 

"This could potentially include speed reductions in certain areas beyond just designated school zones," he said. 

Denae Penner of the Green Action Centre says if council were to implement a change like this, it would be for the better. She said the change would "shift the priority of moving people, and allowing people to move through the city rather than moving cars."

"I think that there is potentially some criticism or some questions or concerns that people have, which is part of why we want to have a town hall like this," she said.