City council approves harmonized speed zones

By Lethbridge Herald on July 12, 2023.

City council has approved the harmonization of school and playground zones in Lethbridge starting later this year. Herald file photo

Al Beeber – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – abeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

Lethbridge drivers will soon have to watch their speed more carefully more often in school zones.

City council unanimously approved on Tuesday a motion calling for the harmonization of school and playground zones in Lethbridge. 

There was no debate on the motion, the matter which started and ended quickly after second and third readings.

School zones will be changed to playground zones and speed limits implemented daily from 7:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. starting in the third quarter of this year.

 A report presented to the Civic Works Standing Policy Committee of city council in spring gave detailed reasons why the zones should be harmonized.

A report presented by Ali to that committee stated 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.

The report to SPC showed 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.

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.

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.

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