New push to drop Ontario residential street speed limit to 40 km/h

There's a new push to lower the default speed limit on residential roads across Ontario.

The default speed limit in Ontario cities is 50 km/h where there are no posted speed limit signs.

Ottawa-Centre MPP and cabinet minister Yasir Naqvi is asking his government to amend the Highway Traffic Act to lower that speed limit to 40 km/h.

"If you look at some other jurisdictions, like New York City and Paris, you'll see they're taking the same initiatives," Naqvi said. "And I think it will put Ontario in a leadership place in North America by reducing the speed by these 10 kilometres an hour.

"Fifty kilometres an hour is too fast," he said. "You've got a lot of young children who play on the street, especially in the summer months. ... I knock on doors on a regular basis and this is an issue that comes up often."

Ontario municipalities already have the power to lower the speed limit across a city, but they must install signage.

In 2009, the City of Ottawa estimated it would cost about $5 million to install the signs.

A province-wide change would save time and effort for residents such as Peter Eady, who spent two years helping the Civic Hospital Community Association take advantage of a City of Ottawa program.

In some cases, the program lets residents request a 40 km/h limit on their street if at least 66 per cent of them sign a petition.

"That would have been a lot easier in my opinion, than neighbourhood associations all across the city trying to do them street by street," Eady said.

Naqvi said he hopes his government to table the amendment this fall.

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