Community Safety Zones & Reduced Speed Limits
In recent years, Engineering Division staff have assessed the effectiveness of Community Safety Zones and reduced speed limit areas in a few area of the City.
Extensive speed studies and research completed on Community Safety Zones and reduced speed limit areas in the City of Kingston, clearly demonstrate that signage alone is not an effective traffic calming measure. Without constant and aggressive enforcement by police, motorists continue to drive at the speed that they are comfortable with, despite the "Community Safety Zone Signage" or the "40 km/hr" regulatory signage. For example, on Queen Mary Road where the posted speed was reduced from 50 km/hr to 40 km/hr, numerous speed studies concluded that the majority of motorists continued to drive the same speed that they did when the speed limit was posted at 50 km/hr. Some residents of this street even believe that the lowered speed limit contributes to a false sense of safety and increases driver frustration and aggression towards motorists that do drive 40 km/hr.
The results of this local research are very much in keeping with what has been the experience in other cities.
"Reduced maximum legal vehicle speeds used as traffic calming measures many not be effective and may create compliance problems. Raised crosswalks or speed humps would be more effective in reducing vehicle speeds"
(Source: Canadian Guide to Neighbourhood Traffic Calming)
For the above-noted reasons, the Engineering Division does not at this time recommend the installation of any new Community Safety Zones or reduced speed limit areas other than in school zones.
