Drivers travelling through Coaldale will see a lower default speed limit beginning Sept. 1 after town council approved changes to the community’s Traffic Control Bylaw.
The bylaw reduces the default speed limit on unsigned roads within town boundaries to 40 km/h from 50 km/h. Roads with posted speed limits, including Highway 3, Highway 845 and 30 km/h playground zones, are not affected.
Town officials said the decision was informed by a municipal speed study that analyzed more than 326,000 vehicle observations at 16 locations throughout the community.
According to the study, most motorists already travel near the proposed speed limit, with about two-thirds of vehicles travelling below 50 km/h and roughly 95 per cent travelling within 9 km/h of the current default limit.
Mayor Jack Van Rijn said the lower speed limit is intended to improve safety on neighbourhood streets.
“A 40 km/h default speed limit is a practical step that supports neighbourhood safety, especially for pedestrians, cyclists, children, seniors and families,” Van Rijn said in a release.
Van Rijn said the change brings Coaldale in line with a growing number of Alberta municipalities that have adopted similar neighbourhood speed limits. The town’s administrative report also cited research suggesting that lowering vehicle speeds from 50 km/h to 40 km/h can significantly reduce the likelihood of a pedestrian being killed in a collision.
The report also referenced a University of Alberta evaluation that associated Edmonton’s 2021 reduction of its default speed limit with about 25 per cent fewer collisions and about 31 per cent fewer injuries and fatalities.
Dustin Yanke, the town’s director of infrastructure, said the lower speed limit is expected to have little effect on travel times because most trips within Coaldale are relatively short.
“A two-kilometre drive takes about 36 seconds longer at 40 km/h than at 50 km/h,” Yanke said. “At the same time, even modest reductions in vehicle speed can make a meaningful difference in how severe a collision is when one does happen.”
Officials said the bylaw change is one part of the town’s broader traffic safety strategy, which also includes continued monitoring of vehicle speeds and the development of future traffic-calming guidelines.
Before the new speed limit takes effect Sept. 1, the town plans to launch a public awareness campaign.
