Centre Wellington pilot program to explore 40 km/h neighbourhoods

CENTRE WELLINGTON ‒ Your neighhourhood could be selected for a new pilot program that would reduce speed limits from 50 km/h to 40 km/h. 

In a new report, township staff have proposed a pilot program that would see speed limits lowered from 50 km/hour to 40 km/hour in one Centre Wellington neighbourhood representing a "typical urban setting" as a way to address ongoing concerns with road safety. 

Pending council endorsement, the neighbourhood is to be selected in late 2023 with full implementation of the pilot anticipated by spring 2024 and running for the remainder of the year.

"Speeding and traffic-related accidents within neighbourhoods have been a persistent concern for the township," said the report. "Lowering the speed limit within neighbourhoods has been recognized as an effective measure to enhance road safety and reduce the severity of traffic collisions."

Using funds from an existing capital budget, the estimated cost to implement the pilot study is $20,000. 

According to the report, vehicle speed data will be collected to determine the reduction's impact and township staff will work with the OPP to enforce reduced speed limits in the selected neighbourhood throughout the study's course,

While they were supportive of the program, the report said the OPP emphasized the importance of public education about the program as well as installing "sufficient" 40 km/hr speed signage to assist with "upholding speeding ticket challenges."

The full report will come to Centre Wellington council on Monday. 

Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.