A huge shout out to the folks withLiveable Streets Edmonton who have been working hard to enact change on our city’s streets by advocating for a 30 km/hr speed zone on residential streets in the core of our city.
It’s a great idea for our mature communities. To read more click here.
Here’s the letter of support that I sent to Edmonton City Council.
April 28, 2019
Dear members of Edmonton City Council,
I am writing in support of the idea to reduce speed limits to 30 km/hr on residential streets and 40 km/hr on collector roads within the boundaries suggested by Liveable Streets Edmonton during a recent community and public services committee.
As a school board Trustee I often hear concerns from parents about safety on our city’s streets. Having 30 km/hr speed limits near our schools is not enough. Many of the families that I represent in mature communities, including Highlands, Forest Heights, Oliver and Alberta Avenue choose to live in the core of Edmonton so that their children can walk or ride their bikes to school. Having a reasonable and safe speed limit of 30 km/hr recognizes that our streets are safer when speeds are lower.
Reducing speed limits in the core of our city will also help achieve the City of Edmonton’s 2015 goal of no traffic related fatalities or serious injuries, also known as Vision Zero. Furthermore, if we want to continue to encourage families to live, work and play in the heart of our city we need to ensure that our roads are safe. Reducing speed limits to 30 km/hr is a major step towards achieving both of these objectives.
I commend the work of Liveable Streets Edmonton in raising awareness about this issue and for also proposing a solution. Their initiative is reasonable and an appropriate response to the unfortunate reality of vulnerable road users being injured and killed on Edmonton streets.
I would also like to thank members of the community and public services committee for recognizing the proposal to reduce speed limits to 30 km/hr in the central part of Edmonton is one that should be debated by the entire council.
I look forward to listening in on the debate Tuesday and encourage Council members to support an initiative rooted in common sense.
Kind regards,
Trisha Estabrooks
EPSB Trustee
Ward D
Trisha Estabrooks 