New Westminster – New Westminster City Council has adopted new slower speed limits for vehicles along bikeways, greenways and streets that do not allow cycling on sidewalks, in an effort to improve safety on New Westminster streets.

“Speed has a huge impact on whether someone is seriously injured or killed in a collision and whether collisions happen at all,” stated Mayor Jonathan X. Coté, “Lower speeds are an important tool to make New Westminster’s roads safer for all.”

The Advisory Committee for Transit, Bicycles and Pedestrians (ACTBiPed) made the recommendation after researching options to make cycling safer and more comfortable. Reduced speed limits for vehicles have shown to reduce the probability of a crash occurring, and the severity of injuries if a crash were to occur. Additionally, lower speed limits encourage more people to consider walking and cycling as a daily mode of travel.

The lower speed limit is in conjunction with other efforts since the Master Transportation Plan was implemented in 2014, such as improving the Rotary Crosstown Greenway, the Brunette Fraser Greenway, and installing additional bicycle parking in the Uptown neighbourhood.

The 30 km/h speed limit will first take effect along the Rotary Crosstown Greenway, followed by the London-Dublin Greenway and the Central Valley Greenway. Lastly, the 30 km/h speed limit will be extended to all streets that do not allow cycling on the sidewalk, by mid-2018.

For more information on cycling in New Westminster and the ActBiPed Committee, please visit newwestcity.ca
 

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For more information:
Lisa Leblanc, P.Eng., M.Sc.
Manager, Transportation
T 604.515.3786
E lleblanc@newwestcity.ca