City council votes to keep slower speed zones around schools

Guelph City Council rejected a staff recommendation Monday that would have seen an end to 30 km/h speed limits near city schools.

Staff was recommending a blanket 40 km/h speed zone. It said studies show that there was virtually no difference in driving speeds if the speed limit was 30 km/h and that having one blanket 40 km/h zone would actually reduce collision potential.

“The more speed zones you have the more confusion, more collision potential,” said Allister McIlveen, manager of parking and traffic, in defending the recommendation at Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting.

He said 30 km/h is an “unreasonable speed” that creates “an enforcement headache” with people feeling it’s too low of a speed.

“I think 40 km/h is a more reasonable speed limit,” McIlveen said.

Council disagreed and voted 11-1 to keep the 30 km/h speed zones around schools at this point.

“I drop my daughter off at school and it’s crazy at 30. I just don’t want to go to 40,” said Mayor Cam Guthrie.

“Keeping it at 30 is banking a little bit on safety … during the day 30 km/h just seems right to me,” Guthrie said.

Coun. Karl Wettstein said the city would be “sending the wrong message” by removing the lower speed limit.

Coun. Mark MacKinnon was the lone councillor to support staff’s recommendation and remove the 30 km/h zone.

MacKinnon said 40 was a “reasonable, rational” speed limit.

“I don’t think there’s any safety issue,” MacKinnon said.

Council did support staff’s other four recommendations: extending 40 km/h zones to other roads near schools and allowing factors such as fencing location and school entrances to help determine school speed zones.