Councillors green light public engagement on lowering city speed limits - Page 20 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Acey · 02-01-2021, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Calgary will lower the speed limit on residential roads from 50 to 40 km/h.

Council voted 10-4 Monday in favour of the change, which is intended to reduce the severity and number of collisions on neighbourhood side streets. The change will take effect on May 31.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...vote-1.5896201

calgarygeologist · 02-01-2021, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acey

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...vote-1.5896201

I"m okay with this but I would eliminate playground zones on these new 40km/h roads. Keep them on the collectors roads though.

Erick Estrada · 02-02-2021, 06:46 AM

It's better than 30 km/hr which would have been crippling but I laugh how the city is spinning this as an $8 million windfall. Maybe if they set up a lot of photo radar but the reality is most accidents are due to inattentive, distracted drivers and this won't curb that.

corporatejay · 02-03-2021, 06:38 AM

We should lower all speed limits on city roads to a max of 50 km:h. Think of the lives that will be saved and the windfall from speeding tickets on crowchild, Anderson and the like.

Cappy · 02-03-2021, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

That sounds reasonable. They are the experts, after all.

But when experts routinely make decisions that run contrary to the public will, those experts and the institutions they run lose legitimacy in the eyes of the public. Which is a bad for civil society, and only grows support for populists and demagogues.

public will > experts

That's a slippery slope right there

undercoverbrother · 02-03-2021, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acey

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...vote-1.5896201

Meh, I already drive 40 in my neighbourhood full of kids, so this makes no difference.

I full expect that many will be up in arms.

Mazrim · 02-03-2021, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by corporatejay

We should lower all speed limits on city roads to a max of 50 km:h. Think of the lives that will be saved and the windfall from speeding tickets on crowchild, Anderson and the like.

I must be blind and missing all the people walking or biking next to those roads.

corporatejay · 02-03-2021, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mazrim

I must be blind and missing all the people walking or biking next to those roads.

Far more people die in car accidents than pedestrian accidents. If the goal is safety then that should apply across the board. 4 point harnesses and helmets in cars as well would reduce injury and fatalities.

calgarygeologist · 02-03-2021, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Far more people die in car accidents than pedestrian accidents. If the goal is safety then that should apply across the board. 4 point harnesses and helmets in cars as well would reduce injury and fatalities.

We should just ban cars altogether so that no one gets hurt on the roads. Driving is a privilege not a right. Once we get autonomous vehicles that don't crash into each other we can return to vehicular transport.

Mazrim · 02-03-2021, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Far more people die in car accidents than pedestrian accidents. If the goal is safety then that should apply across the board. 4 point harnesses and helmets in cars as well would reduce injury and fatalities.

This is such a bad faith argument that I'm not even sure where to begin. It's obvious that you're going for hyperbole to try to make your point instead of thinking of this rationally, so I'll just summarize my response by noting that there is no silver bullet to lowering collisions, and that it's going to take a long time and many small changes to improve driving safety. Judging by the way you're taking this, none of the changes will be easy for you.

PepsiFree · 02-03-2021, 09:56 AM

Council: "Your commute might take an extra 30 seconds."

Completely reasonable, smart people: "JuSt CanCeL CaRs wHy DoNt yOu!?"

Cecil Terwilliger · 02-03-2021, 10:40 AM

Better solution. Make it like Carmageddon. Kill all pedestrians.

Problem solved.

Monahammer · 02-03-2021, 10:50 AM

The silver bullett for reducing automobile accidents is coming in the form of automated driving. The switch and convincing people will be more difficult- what do you mean I cant drive myself within city limits anymore!?!?!?!

WhiteTiger · 02-03-2021, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monahammer

The silver bullett for reducing automobile accidents is coming in the form of automated driving. The switch and convincing people will be more difficult- what do you mean I cant drive myself within city limits anymore!?!?!?!

There are people who like driving, and do it for fun and enjoyment.

TorqueDog · 02-03-2021, 11:11 AM

The City's own numbers didn't support this, the majority of incidents occur in areas unaffected by this change. A lot of streets that really don't need their speed limits changed will have them unnecessarily dropped as a result of this. The enforcement on this will be pretty much nonexistent, and it's just going to piss people off and make drivers even more frustrated with each other.

The City knew flat out that citizens would reject this if subject to a plebescite... so take away their choice. Great. Here's what's going to happen: some portion of the driving population is going to ignore this and drive how they always have, and another portion is going to drive slower.

Me? I'll drive how I always have. If a road or conditions called for me driving slower (including but not limited to weather, children playing near the roadway, passing a cyclist in a tight corridor) then I would drive slower to mitigate the risk. If those conditions weren't present, I would go whatever speed I felt was safe and reasonable traveling on that road given the conditions.

Torture · 02-03-2021, 11:14 AM

People know that this change only applies on residential roads and not collector roads...right?

For my commute it literally only affects 1 block which is right when I'm leaving my house and probably wouldn't be going 50 anyways...

Fuzz · 02-03-2021, 11:19 AM

If you think this will affect you negatively, I'd love to see examples of the roads where this will be implemented that would be a problem. Genuinely curious, as I can't think of any around me.

Flamenspiel · 02-03-2021, 11:24 AM

Yea, it’s not such a big deal. Next step collector roads down to 40.

topfiverecords · 02-03-2021, 11:25 AM

This change really isn't a big deal. Had it been the main roads, then that would have been an annoyance.

Looking at the maps, the only areas that'll have long stretches of 40 are the inner neighbourhoods of grid streets like Killarney, Capital Hill, etc. Many of those roads are narrow, street parking and run stop sign to stop sign.

If the reduction bothers you, jump over a couple blocks to the main road.

TorqueDog · 02-03-2021, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fuzz

If you think this will affect you negatively, I'd love to see examples of the roads where this will be implemented that would be a problem. Genuinely curious, as I can't think of any around me.

It's not even about that, it's a solution without a problem. The neighbourhood Karens and Chads are going to be even more insufferable about vehicles 'going too fast' when they have no idea what speed they're traveling, because now they think they've got a bylaw on their side.

Meanwhile, I can't get people to stop at stop signs in my neighbourhood. I've sent pictures and asked the City to review the signage placement or add a stop-line after witnessing several near misses and almost getting T-boned by some of these morons, and they won't do s--t. So, if I felt the City was actually making changes to improve safety, I'd be behind this. But they aren't, it's just placating a loud minority of idiots.