Regina city councillor wants school zone speed reduced

A Regina city councillor wants the school zone speed reduced to 30 km/h because he says too many motorists are not respecting the 40 km/h speed limit. 

"There's not very much traffic slowdown from 50 to 40. But it's significant when you get to 30," said Mike O'Donnell.

It's one of the recommendations contained in a motion that O'Donnell will introduce at the regular council meeting on April 25. 

He said his motion was initiated by recent photo radar numbers which left him "taken aback a bit." The numbers released by SGI revealed that from March 2015 to the end of this February, 21,543 tickets were mailed out for speeding in Regina school zones.

"I always thought if there one place where people wouldn't speed, it would be a school zone. Kids, grandparents. We also understand that value that's there. 

The 30 km/hr speed limit is already the norm in many Canadian cities, including Saskatoon.

• 30 km/h speed limit in Saskatoon school zones coming back into effect

There, the 30 km/hr speed limit is in effect from 8.a.m to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, September to June, including statutory holidays.

I always thought if there one place where people wouldn't speed, it would be a school zone.- Councillor Mike O'Donnell

In Regina, the 40 km/hr speed limit applies from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m..

O'Donnell said those hours should be reviewed as well.

"Ten o'clock at night. We've always had that in Regina but in most cases, there's nothing going on. Other communities have looked at it from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. or 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Certainly not on the weekends and certainly not during summer vacations. So that's also part of the review," said O'Donnell.

Review of passing, pedestrian lights

O'Donnell's motion also recommends no passing in school zones. 

More pedestrian crossing lights will also be looked at. O'Donnell said they slow down traffic in school zones, but not every school zone has one.

Safety committee

O'Donnell's motion includes a request to resurrect a school zone safety committee.

That committee would include city traffic officials, police, and school divisions.

They would examine the school zone speeding issues this year and report back next spring with recommendations.

"So maybe this motion and being very public about it will make people think about slowing down when they're driving through a school zone," said O'Donnell.

"If that's the win here, then I'd be very happy."