Parking and Traffic Amendment Bylaw No. 2326, 2021 receives first, second and third reading

At the regular Council meeting held on August 17, Council gave first, second, and third readings to Parking and Traffic Amendment Bylaw (Speed Limit Schedule) No. 2326, 2021. 

If passed, the proposed bylaw would immediately lower the speed limit on most municipal roads from 50 kilometres per hour to 30 kilometres per hour. Signage will be installed in two phases; phase one includes the install of gateway signage (neighbourhood entries), and phase two will include sign installations at major intersections. The bylaw would not adjust the speed on Highway 99, as it is a Provincial highway.

The final reading of the bylaw is anticipated to return to Council on September 7.

“This decision is primarily about road safety,” said Mayor Jack Crompton. “That said, we stand to gain many other benefits with the speed reduction, including support for a shift to walking/cycling, improved fuel efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.”

Background

At the April 20, 2021 Council meeting, Council directed staff to prepare a report outlining the implementation process to reduce the speed limit for municipal neighbourhood roadways. This was a result of a Traffic Calming Update presented to the Committee of the Whole on April 6, 2021.

The proposed 30 kilometres per hour limit is a recommendation of the World Health Organization and Vancouver Coastal Health. Currently, the Provincial Motor Vehicle Act sets the default speed limit on local roadways at 50 kilometres per hour. This change in speed limit is another tool the municipality can use to slow vehicles when travelling on municipal roads. 

For more information on municipal roads and traffic calming, visit whistler.ca/roads.