Moncton weighs how to slow traffic without a lower speed limit

Moncton is considering a new municipal policy aimed at slowing down drivers on city streets, but has ruled out a blanket speed limit reduction in residential areas.

René Lagacé, Moncton's director of engineering, said the policy will help the city decide what streets to tackle first. 

The policy does not specify what measures should be installed on which streets. Instead, it would see streets given a rating using data on vehicle speed, crashes, injuries and fatalities.

A street's rating would determine whether it's a candidate for traffic calming measures.

"It's not opinion, it's not popularity, it's not wealth of the neighbourhood or so on, it's by these specific criteria," Lagacé said of how the rating allows staff and council to explain decisions to the public. 

Councillors unanimously voted in favour of the policy at a committee meeting Monday. It still requires final approval at a future council meeting. 

Examples of measures the city may take to slow drivers ranged from putting up signs showing a driver's speed to physically narrowing the lane, or installing mini-roundabouts in intersections like in Fredericton.

While the evaluation of whether those measures are needed will in part be prompted by complaints, Lagacé said the city will also consider them when doing roadwork. 

The policy also says the city should consider traffic calming measures when new streets are being designed. It calls for fewer long, straight and wide roads. 

Other features at the design stage could include raised pedestrian crosswalks and intersections, or mini-roundabouts at intersections. 

A staff report to council says an online consultation this year had more than 600 responses. More than half were willing to see traffic calming measures installed on their street, though it depended on what was being considered. 

The staff report says emergency services and Codiac Transpo were consulted.

Moncton previously studied traffic calming measures 11 years ago, but the staff report says it didn't adopt a policy or budget money to install the measures.

The motion given tentative approval Monday calls for yearly funding.