Kingston looks to drive forward with speed limit reductions, photo radar (2024)

KINGSTON — Satisfied with the results of a pilot project testing lower speed limits in a pair of residential neighbourhoods, the city is considering expanding the program across the city.

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Since 2022, speed limits in the Strathcona Park and Westwoods neighbourhoods were reduced to 40 km/h and 30 km/h on roads around schools.

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Community safety zones, where the consequences for speeding are more severe, were also put in place on about 80 segments of roads in school zones across the city.

The city is now looking to lower the residential neighbourhood speed limit across city to 40 km/h and 30 km/h on roads adjacent to schools.

“At a high level, an expansion of this approach allows for a consistent expectation for lower vehicle speeds in neighbourhoods to be set across the city and for those expectations to be incorporated into future designs and reconstructions of roadway areas,” a report to council from Brad Joyce, commissioner of infrastructure, transportation and emergency services, stated.

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“It also eliminates a patchwork of street-specific speed limit reductions that have been put in place to address specific concerns without extending the benefit to neighbouring areas,” Joyce added. “Unlike speed limits set on a block-by-block basis, consistent neighbourhood speed limit areas are better positioned to change driver behaviour by making lower operating speeds the standard condition.”

Kingston would be following more than a dozen other Ontario municipalities that have either adopted or are piloting widespread speed reductions.

The 25 city neighbourhoods with schools would be the first to see their speed limits lowered and the related road markings and signage installed between now and the end of next year.

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Another 17 neighbourhoods without schools would see their speed limits reduced in 2026.

Lower speed limits are to be put in place on remaining residential and local roads in 2027.

Six neighbourhoods in the downtown are to receive additional consideration.

“This area is complex, with several higher volume urban roads bisecting local roads in a grid manner,” the report noted. “Staff will conduct a review of this area and develop an approach that recognizes the high pedestrian activity in the area, the quantity of signage that may be required, and the current design of arterial and collector roads in the area.”

Council is to consider the lower speed limit plan at its Tuesday night meeting.

Also to be considered then is a plan for the introduction of an automated speed enforcementprogram — photo radar — to the city.

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The city plans to introduce two mobile photo radar units as part of a two-year pilot project.

The units are to be set up in community safety zones and school zones and are to be rotated between different sites on a three-month basis.

“All community safety zones in the city, which are typically established along school frontages or near schools, have been studied for potential implementation of automated speed enforcement,” Joyce stated a separate report to council.

“These studies included looking at the history of pedestrian collisions, school populations, vehicle speeds and volumes, parking and sidewalk presence, and site geometry conditions such as roadway curvature and grade,” the report stated. “Through this analysis, staff has identified a list of intersections as potential candidates for automated speed enforcement implementation.”

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