Speed limit reduction is proposed for downtown
City administration is proposing to reduce the speed limits on downtown streets as a means of increasing driver and pedestrian safety.
City administration is proposing to reduce the speed limits on downtown streets as a means of increasing driver and pedestrian safety.
The proposal calls for reducing the speed limit on Second and Fourth avenues from 50 kilometres an hour to 40 km/h, and on all sidestreets from 50 km/h to 30 km/h.
The proposal will be presented to city council early in the new year.
If approved by council, the new speed limits would be implemented next spring, Stefan Baer of the city’s engineering department explained during a media briefing Friday.
More than half of the crashes downtown from 2012 to 2018 occurred on Second and Fourth, says a presentation prepared for the briefing.
Crashes at higher speeds carry more kinetic energy and are more likely to result in severe injury or death, the presentation notes.
It points out that humans while at rest have a field of vision of almost 180 degrees.
“The field of vision, and therefore the ability to detect movement, reduces with increasing speed,” says the presentation.
At higher speeds, vehicles travel longer distances while the driver reacts, and require longer to brake.
Setting speed limits is partially based on anticipated conflicts between users and human vulnerability.
The presentation says the 40 km/h on major streets and 30 km/h on minor streets is recommended by the National Association of City Transportation Officials.
Baer and other city officials explained the cost of implementing the new speed limits with new signage and such would be about $10,000, but may climb as high as $20,000 to $30,000.
The presentation points out that research shows reducing the speed limit from 50 km/h to 40 km/h resulted in a 26 per cent reduction in crashes on residential roads.
A case study of the City of Seattle showed reducing the limit on arterial corridors resulted in a 22 per cent reduction in crashes, an 18 per cent reduction in injuries and a 54 per cent reduction in high-end speeding over 65 km/h.
It notes several other cities have reduced their speed limits.
Continuous enforcement also contributes to reducing travelling speeds and crashes, and automated enforcement is desirable, says the presentation.
It points out that an April 2019 study showed that between 34.6 per cent and 29.4 per cent of drivers exceeded the speed limit on the southern section of Second Avenue.
Between 53.2 per cent and 38.5 per cent of drivers exceeded the speed limit on the northern section of Second.
Research this past June and July showed between 38.8 per cent and 17.7 per cent of drivers exceeded the speed limit on the northern section of Fourth Avenue.
Prior to the report on speed reduction, the city did complete a Second Avenue corridor study.
City engineer Taylor Eshpeter explained Friday they are not taking any future improvements to assist with speeding off the table. They remain under consideration but in the long term, he said.
Eshpeter said reducing the speed limit downtown is a quick and easy step.
Concerns over excessive speeds, particularly on Second Avenue, are not new, and have been around for years.
Comments (37)
Up 0 Down 0
jim graham on Jan 12, 2021 at 3:37 pm
I have to agree with the majority here. It is not rocket science. Lowering the speed limit will only work for the 2 weeks of RCMP blitz, then it will be back to the races. There needs to be enforcement!!! And less cross walks. I like the one way idea and no parking on 2nd. Just watch how many people drive while on the phone, blow red and yellow lights, turn right from left lane or visaversa, and how about the drivers that stradle the lane all the way down second??? Ever notice how many people still can't use the roundabouts properly yet? Stopping in circle is not an option people....
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Jim on Dec 18, 2020 at 5:48 pm
Noticed a street map posted by the city showing all the new speed reduction areas. Kind of funny that the logo in the corner of the map when googled shows up as a company doing traffic consultations in a few American cities. So we actually had to pay good taxpayers money to an outside company to tell us the best plan is speed reduction. Not left turn signals, not better pedestrian/traffic lights, less uncontrolled cross walks. Maybe that’s where the city decided to spend this years fireworks money.
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NickyB on Dec 17, 2020 at 4:18 pm
This Mayor and Council owes us all an explanation for why they have not installed advanced greens for turning left. It seems as though their pushing greenwashed ideology to get everyone on transit by making traffic flow as congested as possible. They like to be considered progressives, but this is more like regressive behavior. They really need to clearly explain why they haven't moved ahead with the obvious solution to our traffic congestion problem.
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Rick Grimes on Dec 17, 2020 at 12:07 pm
Whitehorse.... the only city where drunk walking causes more accidents than drunk driving. #ZombieCrossing
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Charlie's Aunt on Dec 16, 2020 at 9:56 pm
Well if there's a way to complicate something COW will find it. I agree with many others, there are simpler solutions that when combined will prevent the accidents that occur for different reasons. Most pedestrians are hit close to crosswalks - why? They need to be educated that sticking their arm out or pushing a button doesn't mean they can automatically walk out on road without taking a breathe or looking for traffic. Crosswalk at 2nd & Elliot where many are hit is redundant; close it & make that a Jay Walking area. Increase the distance where street parking is banned close to corners because it also limits vision of cars coming out of cross streets. Cell phones are banned for drivers, ban them for pedestrians so no more blindly walking nose to phone. Useful tool but the earth didn't collapse before they were invented.
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Anie on Dec 16, 2020 at 2:14 pm
Perhaps traffic would move better through the two main downtown streets if the city invested in traffic lights that included advanced greens for turning left. These seem to be standard in similar sized communities elsewhere but there's always been a reluctance here. In the summer, making a left turn into shipyards park at ogilvie is insane
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Martin on Dec 15, 2020 at 4:34 pm
@My Opinion I am guessing you want an oval circuit, like those asphalted race tracks down south (Second-Ogilvie-Fourth-South access back to Second).
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EG on Dec 15, 2020 at 3:24 pm
Whitehorse needs a 'jaywalking' bylaw and it need enforced. Remember folks, roads are for cars. Cars go fast and are made of metal they will hurt or kill you if you don't respect them. Don't just walk into traffic with your face buried in your phone.
Also, lose about half those crosswalks on the gauntlet of 2nd avenue, they are completely unnecessary.
A speed reduction will do nothing to stop human/vehicle collisions. It just won't.
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North_of_60 on Dec 15, 2020 at 2:01 pm
As others have noted this time and every time 2nd Ave is discussed, the problem is bottle-necked traffic flow because there are not enough left turn arrows. This could have been done long ago for less than the cost of all the redundant studies every Mayor & Council has commissioned.
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Robin on Dec 15, 2020 at 10:03 am
Reduce the amount of crosswalks! We DO NOT need a crosswalk at every corner. REDUCE the amount of redundant, useless crosswalks that only add risk to drivers that can't see people crossing (even good drivers have issues with this) and add risk to pedestrians.
DESIGNATE primary crosswalks with lights for crossing. Come on CoW, this is the first improvement that should be made. The ridiculous amount of crosswalks you continue to repaint year after year, are part of the problem too, not just the speed limit and drivers.
FIGURE IT OUT; downtown is the city centre of a territory with 20,000+ people. What other city centre do you see that has crosswalks (and no lights/traffic stopping indicators) at all four corners of every single intersection?
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Groucho d'North on Dec 15, 2020 at 10:02 am
Laws are useless without enforcement and even then many citizens do not obey them - see Drunk Driving. I echo politico's comments that the RCMP must at lease provide a visible presence to deter speeders. Establish speed traps with an officer on foot with a radar gun and a couple officers in cars to catch the offenders and ticket them. The one on foot would also be better able to see distracted drivers on their phones. The recent blitz the mounties performed delivered results. Why stop there?
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Resident on Dec 15, 2020 at 9:16 am
Maybe if people stopped action driving like a contact sport, we wouldn't need to treat them like children. How pathetic is this town when someone needs to go 90 in a 60 to 'win' driving? Sorry, was 15 over not enough for you? Are you late for your back waxing? Gonna miss Survivor?
Up 50 Down 3
Oya on Dec 15, 2020 at 8:47 am
@ Dave You are so right. The CoW certainly did not think about traffic flow with Whistlebend. So shortsighted.
Reducing the speed limit on 2nd Ave is NOT the solution! We need BETTER traffic flow!
Remove half the crosswalks; put in designated crosswalks with lights; keep bicycles off 2nd Ave; get the bus "depot" off 2nd Ave; make 2nd Ave THE traffic artery and enforce the speed limit once in a while.
The problem is the lack of PROPER crosswalks and pedestrians who think they are safe by simply "pointing their way to safety" (a stupid program that resulted in pedestrians thinking they can just point and walk without looking both ways first).
The problem is not the vehicles or the speed limit. Reducing the speed limit will result in more speeders and road rage and will make 2nd Ave even more unsafe than it is today, imo.
Think again, CoW! In places like Seattle, there are main arteries (freeways) that can be used so reducing speed in some neighborhoods might make perfect sense. In Whitehorse, 2nd Ave IS that main artery!
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Josey Wales on Dec 15, 2020 at 7:53 am
More civic wizardry, idea...?
Pass another stupid bylaw, the personal responsibility clause.
Yes we have many poor drivers - that is a fact.
Also a fact we have many non drivers that are over the top "poor" on their judgement near traffic, many are completely wasted...etc.
Yet another law, faaaantastic my Lords.
Funny thing? We already have laws in regards to stop signs, solid lines...yellow or white, using your geek devices, driving a complete piece of crap vehicle missing key parts like headlights and taillights etc.
It requires enforcement, which contradicts BOLE...so new lower speed soon to come I suppose?
The Civic Wizards...
Up 50 Down 7
Sheepchaser on Dec 15, 2020 at 6:36 am
If Whitehorse City Council is aiming to push all legitimate economic activity out of downtown and hand it over to the j-walking drunks while the rest of us shop, bank and socialize online then... mission accomplished?
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My Opinion on Dec 15, 2020 at 12:46 am
You have to love statistics don't ya? They say over 50% of the accidents downtown were on Second and Fourth. I think that is really good considering 85% of the traffic is on second and fourth. Hahaha and they pay big money for these Experts to study.
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My Opinion on Dec 15, 2020 at 12:34 am
Should have used some of the seven lanes that no one is using in front of the Airport. Hahaha. What a bunch of G@@fs.
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My Opinion on Dec 15, 2020 at 12:32 am
The True and best answer is change Fourth Ave to oneway South Bound and Second Ave to oneway Northbound. You are welcome. Everyone has turning lanes and no oncoming to worry about when getting on.
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My Opinion on Dec 15, 2020 at 12:29 am
The biggest problem on Second Ave isn't really the speed it is the left hand turners blocking a lane as there is no break in traffic to get across. Then everyone starts changing lanes like crazy.
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Nathan Living on Dec 15, 2020 at 12:23 am
Not an ideal solution but I support it.
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Timothy DeBrabandere on Dec 15, 2020 at 12:12 am
A lower speed limit isn’t really big deal.
Front Street: I barely see anybody driving 50 anyway, with cars parking on both sides and making it a narrow street. So not a big deal.
4th Ave: from 9-5 there are traffic jams from Main to Two Mile Hill, with the school zone in its middle. So not a big deal.
The side streets: except for 6th Ave there are stop signs on every block. So not a big deal.
6th Ave: Yeah, going from 50 to 30 will be a big change. But realistically it shouldn’t have been 50 anyway. It’s a residential area, with houses close to the street. It already felt bad to drive 50 there.
I guess it’ll take us 2 minutes longer to go to work now. So be it.
Up 26 Down 19
Photo Radar on Dec 14, 2020 at 11:00 pm
Think of the CASH COW photo radar would be. Leave the speed limits alone and install cameras everywhere. It works.
Up 30 Down 6
Max Mack on Dec 14, 2020 at 9:35 pm
City administration is outright lying and when not lying they are playing with numbers to justify their pre-chosen policy.
I call complete b.s. on their so-called speeding data.
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Jim on Dec 14, 2020 at 6:23 pm
No surprise here. Our town clowns said they were doing a study on speed reduction. There were obviously no other solutions, such a better traffic and pedestrian interaction such as lights and walk signals. They were simply looking for the fastest and cheapest bandaid that could be implemented to make it seem like something is being done. Same clowns are too busy spending tax dollars on building shiny new towers and offices. I would be really interested to see what other cities have done this to their major 4 lane thoroughfares. How about some statistics on how much safer a controlled crossing with Pedestrian lights are than an uncontrolled painted crosswalk on a 4 lane street. The people that did the study should be embarrassed if they received a pay check. Hopefully all the people that have to navigate this BS will remember come civic election time.
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Guncache on Dec 14, 2020 at 6:19 pm
This is the most ill informed city council and road engineers the city has ever seen. Lowering the speed limit is not the answer. A case study from Seattle, give me a break. Do they even get winter there.? The problem is pedestrians. Watch a pedestrians eyes next time you stop for one. They don't watch for other traffic. Pedestrians have to take responsibility.
Up 27 Down 1
Crunch on Dec 14, 2020 at 6:19 pm
The fallout from poor planning is always the injection of stop gap measures in order to bail individuals out of hot water. If they get away with this one your really gonna love the next one.
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Naturelover on Dec 14, 2020 at 4:36 pm
The best view of Whitehorse, is in the rear view mirror.
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Jc on Dec 14, 2020 at 4:21 pm
Not a problem here.
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Peter Nemeth on Dec 14, 2020 at 4:12 pm
What about better line of vision for the driver along Second Avenue? It is hard to see pedestrians at intersections, especially with parking. And the bus stop going north on Second Avenue, first past Main Street by CIBC. Buses contribute to blocking view of pedestrians. City should not allow parking along Second Avenue. Instead convert those lanes for bicycles. Move bus stops in order to improve visibility. Perhaps there are other solutions.
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Matt on Dec 14, 2020 at 3:34 pm
It will be a huge boost to inner city hotels.... if people come down south access and maintain the speed limit they will have to overnight at Main Street and begin the journey to the 2-mile hill the following morning early... after reaching that sometime in the late afternoon they can then relax driving up the highway that night. What could go wrong?
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The Real Just Sayin' on Dec 14, 2020 at 3:33 pm
Reducing the speed limit does not seem like the right solution to this problem.
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Dave on Dec 14, 2020 at 2:38 pm
You hear that loud flushing sound? It’s Whitehorse going down the toilet drain. Apparently the current administration won’t be satisfied until they’ve made the city completely unliveable and unnavigable. Mayor and council were on a brain holiday when they created Whistle Bend knowing the traffic nightmare all the new residents would cause without constructing any new capacity for that traffic. Now they’re going to make downtown traffic even worse by causing unimaginable congestion with everyone crawling around downtown. They should write a book called, ‘How we took a nice town and destroyed it within ten years’.
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drum on Dec 14, 2020 at 2:36 pm
I think it is a no brainer. Of course we have to save lives - slow down it is not a race track. Sometimes the parking lot in the Qwanlin Mall looks like a race track with idiots racing around some days.
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Anie on Dec 14, 2020 at 2:36 pm
A city official says the cost will be $10k, or maybe it will be $30k.... and the reporter doesn't ask "what the heck?"
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Matthew on Dec 14, 2020 at 2:14 pm
Oh my! Start by giving all pedestrians tickets who can't be visible in the morning or evening. That will raise enough money for the 10-30k needed for the signs. Also love how they use a "study" from Seattle as an example, a climate that most likely gets .5cm of snow a YEAR! Look at the huge difference in % they are trying to use, not to accurate I'd say. Seems like city engineers are just getting physics in motion..
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politico on Dec 14, 2020 at 1:51 pm
I'll believe it when the RCMP actually start pulling cars over and issuing tickets.
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yukon girl on Dec 14, 2020 at 1:42 pm
If one third of the population is speeding, enforce the speed limit! Imagine the fine money … maybe do something useful with it like hire an additional enforcement officer - a new job for someone paid for by the ticket fees. Lowering the limit will simply irk the general driving population to no end and ensure that you have even more speeders.