After what the Town of Sidney is calling “community concerns”, they are considering lowering speed limits to 30km/hr on local roads.
Many roads in Sidney already post a speed limit of 30km/hr, but this change would primarily affect areas on either side of the Pay Bay Highway—some of which still sit at a 50km/hr limit.
According to the Town, the change would be to “improve safety for all road users, including drivers and people who walk, bike, or ride a scooter”.
Sidney looks to change the roads listed in the graphic below, as marked in purple:
Residents who want to weigh in on this consideration can do so through an online survey, which is open to the public until November 15th.
Sidney says that Council will consider all feedback before determining next steps.
They continue on to say that the rationale behind the proposed changes is that lower speeds contribute to quieter, more livable neighbourhoods and help reduce the number and impact of crashes.
Additionally, slower drivers have more time to respond to sudden changes in their surroundings and respond to road conditions.
According to Road Safety BC, a pedestrian hit at 30km an hour has a 90% chance of surviving, while pedestrian hit at 50km an hour has a 20% chance of surviving.
Sidney isn’t first to the punch in this initiative—speed limits are being reduced across the board in Greater Victoria, including municipalities like the City of Victoria, and District of Saanich.
