The first subdivision involved in the Residential Speed Limit Pilot Project will be Paradise Canyons/The Canyons on the west side of Lethbridge. The pilot starts September 15, 2023. (Photo: City of Lethbridge)

By Justin Goulet with files from Christian Oldale

Road safety in focus as part of Residential Speed Limit Pilot Project in Lethbridge

Aug 30, 2023 | 1:38 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A pilot project aimed at improving road safety in Lethbridge starts next month.

On September 15, 2023, the City of Lethbridge will launch the Residential Speed Limit Pilot Project. As part of the initiative, speed limits will be lowered to 40 km/h in select neighbourhoods.

The first subdivision involved will be Paradise Canyon/The Canyons on the west side of the city. Officials said Uplands/Blackwolf, and the southern portion of Southgate will be onboarded later this year.

The City of Lethbridge Transportation Safety Plan recommends reducing residential speed zones to achieve a goal of zero transportation-related deaths and serious injuries by the year 2040.

Ahmed Ali, Transportation Engineering Manager with the City of Lethbridge said, “Speed is a major cause of collisions and many of the severe collisions.”

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He added, “We are trying to focus on road safety as our priority area. We want to save lives, we want to [prevent] major injuries and we want people to understand the purpose of this.”

The pilot will be a multi-year project and data on the pilot areas will be collected during the process. Residents are invited to share feedback by completing an online survey and can visit the Get Involved Lethbridge webpage for more details.

SCHOOL AND PLAYGROUND ZONES

In addition to the residential speed zone pilot project, the harmonization of school and playground zones officially takes effect on September 5. All zones are being converted to year-round playground zones with a 30 km/h maximum speed limit from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.

READ MORE: City of Lethbridge harmonizing playground and school zones

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