The City’s Transportation Committee has approved a plan by Capital Ward Coun. Shawn Menard to lower speed limits in the Glebe and Old Ottawa South.

The plan would see the speed limit drop to 30 km/h on residential streets in two distinct areas.

In the Glebe, all residential streets bordered by Bronson in the west, Bank in the east, Queen Elizabeth in the south and Chamberlain in the north will have the reduced limit, to be introduced with zone entry signage, indicating the change in speed limit for the area.

In Old Ottawa South, the borders are Bronson, Bank, Colonel By and the Rideau River.Menard says the area has a lot of vulnerable people such as children and seniors. Menard says, "We have ten schools, four different major day care centre, three different retirement residents, ten different parks." 

"If you get hit by someone going 30 kilometers an hour the chances of a severe injury is 10-percent. if you get hit by someone going 50 kilometers and hour, the chances increase to 50 percent," says Menard. 

The speed limits on arterial roads like Bank St. and Bronson Ave. will not change under this plan.

The changes must still be approved by full City Council. If approved, Menard expects the changes would come into effect this fall.

Menard says, "We are implementing traffic calming measure to go along with the speed reduction... that means paint on roads, better signage, delineators, and speed bumps." 

Menard says these measures would cost about $45,000 over the remainder of his term, which ends in 2022. He says the money will come from his ward's traffic calming budget.