Victoria lowers speed limits on most major roads to boost safety

Victoria drivers will soon need to ease off the gas as the city prepares to reduce speed limits on most roads.

City council unanimously approved a plan this week to decrease speed limits to 40 km/h or lower on 75 per cent of streets, with some local ones dropping to 30 km/h.

The change, aimed at improving road safety, leaves only two major routes in the city — Douglas and Blanshard streets, between Caledonia and Tolmie avenues — at the default 50 km/h limit. Both are six-lane streets that connect to provincial highways.

The move isn't entirely new for Victoria, which has for years been gradually implementing 30 km/h limits on local streets — those that don't have centre lines and carry fewer than 1,000 vehicles per day. 

According to city staff, the 30 km/h initiative has already been rolled out in most neighbourhoods and is on track to be completed in seven of Victoria's 11 neighbourhoods by the end of this year.

Ross Kenny, the city's assistant director of transportation said reducing speed limits decreases the severity of collisions and gives drivers more time to react.

"It improves road safety by decreasing the amount of time it takes to stop a car, Kenny said during a presentation to council. 

"The change from 50 to 40 [km/h] will have a very minor impact on people travelling through and around the city."

A staff report presented at the council meeting showed pedestrians have a 90 per cent chance of surviving collisions when struck at 30 km/h or less, compared to a less than 20 per cent survival rate at 50 km/h.

The council agreed that the benefits of lower limits outweigh the inconvenience of slightly longer trips for drivers.

"Thirty kilometers is slow, there's no doubt about that," Coun. Stephen Hammond said. "But if you want to drive faster, go to another city, because we don't have a lot of space."

The new speed limits are expected to be fully in place by spring 2027, with the rollout projected to cost under $100,000. 

Some concerns about enforcement

Although the motion passed unanimously, some council members expressed concerns about ensuring compliance.

Coun. Jeremy Caradonna called for more active speed enforcement by Victoria police officers, saying it will be essential for achieving the safety outcomes.

Coun. Marg Gardiner highlighted another potential issue: cyclists.

"Cyclists can get going fast, especially on hills," Gardiner said. She questioned whether existing enforcement measures, such as speed signs, could work on cyclists as well as drivers.

Staff acknowledged that while e-bikes are designed with a maximum speed of 32 km/h, some cyclists can exceed that limit, particularly on steep downward terrain.

Staff also noted that the Victoria Police Department has been consulted and supports the changes, and said traffic enforcement will remain focused on addressing high-risk behaviours, such as distracted driving and impaired driving, rather than strictly targeting speed violations.

As the city continues to make the changes, residents like Erin Renwick, co-chair of the South Jubilee Neighbourhood Association, said she welcomes the change.

"I think it's a great idea to reduce the speed of vehicles to increase safety and lower the air pollution and the noise," Renwick said. "Especially when there's more people on bicycles and in public transit. I don't think that the 30-kilometre speed limit should be a concern."