Speed reduction a no go

The Town of Black Diamond has decided to put the brakes on lower speed limits in residential areas.

Town council agreed in a unanimous vote at its Nov. 2 meeting to maintain its residential speed limit at 50 km/h. An online survey posted on the Town’s website earlier this fall showed 32 per cent of the 130 people surveyed felt lowering the speed limit in residential areas would enhance pedestrian safety.

“The decision was based on feedback directly from the community,” said Mayor Glen Fagan. “The community doesn’t see a need for change.”

Discussions to reduce the speed limit to 40 km/h began in response to suggestions the limit should be lowered on the road to the off leash dog park and comes after both Turner Valley and Okotoks reduced their residential speed limits earlier this year.

Twenty-nine per cent of survey respondents said there is a need to lower the limit, 32 per cent supported a reduced speed limit as a pedestrian or cyclist and 59 per cent felt ‘very safe’ and 32 per cent feel ‘mostly safe’ when walking or cycling on residential streets.

The results of the survey were posted during a public feedback session on Oct. 26, attended by 14 residents. Many at the meeting questioned why council was considering a change.

Among them was Audrey Cerkvenac, who said last week she’s pleased council listened to the opinion of residents.

“Common sense tells us that there is no need to change the speed limit because there has been no significant problem with traffic incidents,” she said. “Having the unnecessary cost for signage, in these economic times, would be irresponsible.”

Senior peace officer Jim Berry also said speeding is not a problem on Black Diamond’s residential streets because of the way the streets are designed.

Roads in newer developments have been built with curves and angles to keep the volume of speed down and those in older streets have traffic control measures every couple of blocks, he explained.

Berry also said that peace officers have written approximately nine speeding tickets on residential roads in Black Diamond over the past 10 years, including three in school and playground zones, and that there have been no speed-related pedestrian or vehicle injuries reported in the last five or six years.

Fagan said public feedback and peace officers’ data has lead to the conclusion that the Town doesn’t need to reduce its residential speed limit to 40 km/h.

Council directed administration to look at an area in Willow Ridge where the posted speed limit is 30 km/h, he said.

“You can see the reason why it’s 30 km is the turn is more than 90 degrees and there’s vehicles parked around that corner,” explained Fagan. “But once you get past the congestion it’s 30 in the rest of the neighbourhood. That’s where people are asking the question why it’s 30 km.”