Vancouver city council has unanimously approved reducing the speed limit on local streets from 50 km/h to 30 km/h in an effort to improve the safety of drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.While the move was lauded by many, others questioned whether enacting such changes without increasing enforcement will achieve the intended result.According to city council, the speed limit on local streets — those that don’t have a centre line — is set by the province, however municipalities are authorized to lower it.When formally enacted, the new bylaw will allow for the "phased introduction of the neighbourhood-level blanket 30 km/h speed limits." The process will take roughly three years, and begin with the installation of signage in 25 neighbourhoods, 17 of which already have various traffic calming measures in place..A public education campaign will be launched, and notifications will be sent to residents in the impacted communities to ensure they are up to date on the changes."We are committed to seeing safer streets and a reduction in both road-related fatalities and serious injuries," Mayor Ken Sim said. "We look forward to implementing evidence-based practices and finding new, innovative ways to keep pedestrians and active transportation users safe." In a press release, the city cited data claiming that lowering speeds from 50 km/h to 30 km/h "can reduce pedestrian fatality rates in collisions from 80% to 15%," and that lower speeds allow drivers to stop up to 50% sooner. Also mentioned was the fact that slower driving results in quieter streets and less pollution..Among those who argued that reducing speed limits alone wasn't enough to ensure the safety of non-driving road users was Vancouver lawyer Peter Waldkirch.."I strongly support this, but I gotta say, I'm a bit cynical about this motion," Waldkirch said during Wednesday's city council meeting. "Earlier today there was a report that claimed 'safety is core to city and regional policy', and that is demonstrably untrue."He pointed out that road violence and reckless driving are "pervasive" in Vancouver, arguing that the problem is "systematic" and goes far beyond "a few bad apples.""I bet everyone listening to this knows someone whose life has been profoundly altered by a driver," Waldkirch declared, noting that reported deaths are "only the tip of the iceberg of the carnage left in our city by dangerous driving.".He went on to suggest that "the rules of the road are optional in Vancouver," and urged city council members to "open your eyes" to the reality of the situation."The speed limit is kind of a joke in this city, because literally no one obeys it," Waldkirch said. "It's good to lower them; we need to lower them — but without enforcement and road changes, drivers won't care because they don't really care now. If you go the speed limit, you get honked at and bullied on the road."He noted that with the Vancouver Police Department unable to prioritize road safety and limited automated options, there is "virtually zero enforcement.""Our roads are designed to encourage speed and driver convenience over all else," Waldkirch continued, "and so the result, obviously, is that drivers act with impunity ... Driver convenience obviously outweighs human life in our planning."."If aliens came to our city and looked at it free from the blinders of car culture and status quo bias," he added, "they would say the way your city is built shows a callous disregard for human life."Waldkirch concluded by urging councillors to "take road violence seriously" and do more to punish those who break the rules they put in place.
