The City of Calgary is currently mulling over the idea of reducing speed limits in residential areas to 30 km/hr, something that Airdrie did a long time ago.

“In 1982, there was about 10 thousand people here,” says Mayor Peter Brown, “At that time, you’re doing 110, 115-k coming home, they wanted to make sure that people recognize when they got back into their community that they needed to slow down, people were coming in a little too hot. That’s what I understand was the catalyst was for them changing it back in 82.”

Mayor Brown says that safety is the number one reason why these limits are in place and why they continued to be enforced.

“You look at the survivability rates at 50-k, it’s 46 percent at 30-k, it’s 80 percent [50 km].”

Currently, the residential speed limits in Calgary are at 50 km/hr, but one Councillor has said that they should be lowered.

Mayor Brown understands that the proposal for a lowered speed limit isn’t always popular but in Airdrie’s case, it works.

“Do I believe that everybody does 30-k on every posted 30-k limit? Probably not. They do a little bit more than the limit. At the end of the day, it’s a heck of a lot better than people doing 50 and then taking it up to 60 or even area as they do in some areas of the southern area of the Province.”

Despite Airdrie being one of Calgary’s neighbouring municipalities, they haven’t reached out to City staff about how they handle their speed limits.

“There’s been no conversation,” says Mayor Brown, “When I’ve seen some of their councillors [in the past], I’ve said to them, ‘good for you to take this initiative on’. I’m sure it’s not going to be popular with a lot of people but at the end of the day safety and security is what we’re charged with the most.”

Calgary is also looking at reducing the speed limits progressively, moving from 50 to 40 and eventually to 30 km/hr.

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