Reduced Speed In School Zones And Parks/Playgrounds Bylaw Amendments Pass

Just over 30 years ago Moose Jaw adopted a 30 km/hr speed limit from 8 am - 6 pm.

After a major public outcry Council decided to adopt a 40 km/hr school/playground/park zones from 8 am to 6 pm seven days a week. A bylaw that has been in the books for decades.

But at their regular Monday meeting Council decided to go back to the future and approved Traffic Bylaw amendments with 30 km/hr school zones from 7 am to 7 pm - in 2024 - and playgrounds and parks to follow suit in 2025.

The vote to give third reading to the amendments to the Traffic Bylaw passed with a 6 - 1 vote with Councillor Kim Robinson voting against the bylaw.

At their June 10th regular meeting Councillor Robinson said he opposed the bylaw change because some of the schools where the amendments would take effect this year but won’t be around in September 2025.

One of Moose Jaw’s school zones - MJ Independent file photo

During the presentation of the new Transportation Master Plan - preceding the bylaw amendments’ third reading - Councillor Robinson asked the City’s consultant for their opinion about the then proposed changes.

“A typical school zone is about 200 meters long and it’s an extra six seconds to get through it at 30 km/hr versus 40 km/hr. I can really say it is going to affect your travel time a lot to get to work. But I can say the studies have shown that for a serious injuries or fatalities there’s a 75 percent reduction if you go from 40 (km/hr) down to 30 (km/hr),” Bruce Belmore from KGS Group said.

KGS Group recently completed the new Transportation Master Plan for the city at a cost of $250,000.

Belmore said the drop to 30 km/hr is now the accepted norm in a majority of communities in the province and in the country as well.

“The Transportation Association of Canada has endorsed the 30 km/hr…so nationally it’s becoming, it is a standard actually.”

He went on to state the 30 km/hr was a standard in the United States and Europe as well.

The amendments to the Traffic Bylaw were not approved at the June 10th Council meeting because Councillor Robinson voted no.

In order to pass all three readings a proposed bylaw or amendments to a bylaw require a unanimous vote.

MacDonald Street adjacent the ball diamonds, Kinsmen Sports Centre and the skateboard park presently has a 24 hour speed limit.

In 2025 the 30 km/hr speed limit from 7 am - 7 pm will be adopted for this area

At the June 10th meeting Council was told the signage would be going up a school at a time.

Once the signage was erected the Moose Jaw Police Service would not be enforcing the reduced speed rules but giving an unspecified grace period and use it as a means to educate the public about the changes.

The grace period would end the first day of school in the fall Council was told at the time.

As part of the changes schools will see their speed limits drop between 7 am and 7 pm.

Next year the changes will be extended to include parks and playgrounds.

Areas like MacDonald Street next to the Kinsmen indoor pool which is now 40 km/hr 24 hours a day will see the same speed limit drop in 2025.

The bylaw amendment will see about 600 signs erected at a cost of about $200,000.

The new signs were also said to be needed in order to standardize the present hodge podge of school zone signage in the city.