GATINEAU PASSES A BY-LAW TO DECREASE THE SPEED LIMIT TO 40 KM/H IN RESIDENTIAL SIDE STREETS

Gatineau, February 22, 2012. – Gatineau's Municipal Council has passed a by-law that will decrease the speed limit in residential side streets from 50 to 40 km/h. This by-law will come into effect in 90 days.

"I am happy with the adoption of this new measure, which will help improve everyone's safety on the roads, pedestrians and cyclists included. The risk of fatality in the case of a pedestrian hit at 60 km/h is 90% but only 25% at 40 km/h. Gatineau remains proactive when it comes to road safety," said Gatineau Mayor Marc Bureau.

The installation of the new signs indicating 40 km/h secteur will begin in May, and will proceed gradually and strategically throughout the different sectors and residential neighbourhoods, moving west from the city's east end. Signs will be installed at the entrances to residential neighbourhoods on every access route. School or playground zones where the speed limit is 30 km/h will be marked with a sign made to provincial standards. When leaving a 40 km/h area, a sign will be posted indicating resumption of the normal speed limit (50 km/h in most cases) at the sector's boundary or at 500 metres from the end of the 40 km/h area. Police surveillance will begin as soon as all of the signs have been set up in a neighbourhood. The work should be completed by the end of August.

"It is important that drivers and the public endorse this major project, because they will certainly be part of the solution for improving road safety in Gatineau," added Stéphane Lauzon, Municipal Councillor and Chair of the Commission de la sécurité publique et de la circulation.

This will mean the following speed limits in Gatineau:
• 30 km/h: elementary schools and playground zones
• 40 km/h: residential side streets
• 50 km/h and over: arteries and collectors

In addition to the residential side streets that will now post 40 km/h speed limits, there will be a number of other speed limit changes under by-law 303-4-2012.

• Boulevard Maloney Est: the speed limit will be 50 km/h from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, from September to June in a new elementary school zone.
• Chemin de Montréal Ouest: the length of the 70 km/h zone will be reduced.
• Chemin Saint-Amour: the 50 km/h zone will be replaced by a 70 km/h zone.
• Avenue de Buckingham: the length of the 80 km/h zone will be reduced.
• Boulevard de la Cité-des-Jeunes: the 30 km/h zone will be replaced by a 50 km/h zone.
• Rue Laurier: the 30 km/h zone will be replaced by a 50 km/h zone.

A part of Chemin Freeman, which is a collector, will remain a 40 km/h zone.

This measure will require an initial investment of $265,000. Recurrent costs, namely for the signs' upkeep, are estimated at $268,000 annually.

When it comes to road safety, there are three essential components:
• appropriate laws and by-laws;
• measures supported by an information and awareness campaign; and
• police monitoring.

Some statistics :
• A 1 km/h decrease in the average speed results in a 3% drop in accidents with injuries.
• The probability of a fatality in the case of a pedestrian hit by a car is 90% at 60 km/h, 70% at 50 km/h and 25% at 40 km/h.
• In urban areas, exceeding the speed limit by 10 km/h quadruples the risk of accident.
• 50% of minor accidents, 37% of serious accidents and 20% of fatal accidents happen in urban areas in zones where the speed limit is 50 km/h.

Information: www.gatineau.ca or 3-1-1.