Council to consider harmonized school and playground zones

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on May 5, 2023.

Herald file photo A report presented to the Civic Works Standing Policy committee is calling for the harmonization of school and playground zones throughout the city.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

A report presented to the Civic Works Standing Policy committee of Lethbridge city council on Thursday is calling for the harmonization of school and playground zones in the city.

The SPC unanimously approved a motion that city council adopt the plan.

The SPC consists of chair Belinda Crowson, vice-chair John Middleton-Hope, Acting Mayor Ryan Parker and councillor Nick Paladino

Presented by Transportation Engineering Manager Ahmed Ali, the report recommends changing school zones to playground zones and having them active from 7:30 a.m. until 9 p.m.

If approved by city council, the changes would be made effective in the third quarter of this year.

The report says harmonized zones would make Lethbridge policy consistent with that in many other Alberta municipalities.

According to the report “a single zone with uniform time throughout the year has shown to enhance safety.”

The cost of implementation would be about $65,000.

Presently, school zones are active from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on school days with a maximum speed allowed of 30 km-h.

Playground zones are in effect year-year round from 8:30 a.m. until one hour after sunset.

Ahmed told the SPC there is less than a five second difference in the time it takes to get through a school zone when a driver is going 30 km-h instead of 50.

He said some people won’t like the change but there is a large benefit to society as a whole.

Parker, who presented the motion to present to council, called the plan “a really good idea. It creates less confusion in the community.”

The report says excessive speeds are known to be the main cause of “a significant proportion of collisions” that result fatalities and serious injuries.

The survival rate of a pedestrian hit at 40 km-h is about 15 per cent, a figure that improves to 95 per cent when the vehicle involved is going 32 km-h.

The report adds that if the City remains with the status quo, there is a risk of higher potential of collisions as well as being inconsistent with other communities.

A study by the University of Calgary in 2017 on harmonized zones in Calgary showed there was a reduction in the number of collisions and increased compliance with speed limits.

That report shows pedestrian collisions dropped by 33 per cent with a 70 per cent decrease in the hours between 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

It adds that mean speed decreased from 36 km-h to 30 km-h in zones.

The report notes that confusion exists for drivers in playground zones with sunsets varying with the seasons.

Ahmed told the SPC that the term “sunset” is really vague.

Schools zones are only effective during school days, says the report, with many schools having playground equipment which is used outside of school hours and days.

Lethbridge has 28 school zones and 41 playground zones.

Ali’s report says harmonized zones have many benefits including:

• Fixed end time is easier for motorists to remember. (one hour after sunset varies with the season, in school days vary)

• Longer speed reduction in playground zones would increase safety by reducing the severity of collisions

• A consistent provincial start and end time. Other communities with harmonized zones include Coaldale, Medicine Hat, Calgary, Red Deer, Edmonton, Chestermere, High River and Sylvan Lake.

Letters of support for the idea have been provided by the Lethbridge and Holy Spirit school zones and Lethbridge Police Service.

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