The City of Delta is not considering further lowering the speed limit along River Road West.
Earlier this summer, the Transportation Advisory Committee discussed a request by a resident to lower the speed limit near Brunswick Point to 30 km/h.
Staff noted they will continue to monitor the area, but a lower speed limit is not recommended at this time. The current maximum speed is 50 km/h, but it is 30 km/h just for trucks.
The city has previously initiated lower speed limits in other areas as part of a Slow Streets pilot program, but residents may see that expanded.
Last fall, Steven Lan, Delta’s engineering director, made a presentation to council on the evolving Vision Zero strategy, saying they [the city] wants to focus resources on high-traffic corridors where most serious accidents occur.
Saying the city has just under 100 requests for traffic calming each year, Lan said responding to resident concerns is always a primary focus for the engineering and the police departments.
Speeding and pedestrian safety are the primary complaints, although speed and traffic count monitoring reveals drivers are largely compliant in most cases.
Moving forward, to get broader community support, a new neighbourhood traffic calming approach based on neighbourhood engagement, rather than individual complaints, will be explored.
Lan also said current speed limits may not meet neighbourhod expectations, so a lower speed limit on streets may have to be considered.
Some areas already have reductions and there may be support for the speed limit of 50 km/h, even in areas that have already undergone traffic calming, to be reduced to 30 km/h in even more neighbourhoods, he said.
Lan said information that will be gathered in community engagement will be insightful and help the city in come up with a new plan.
