When next you come to Harrison Hot Springs, be sure to slow down.
The speed limit in residential neighbourhoods will be reduced to 40 km/h starting this fall. Village workers will be putting up signs soon throughout the community and police will begin enforcement once all signage is up.
The lowered speed limit will not apply to provincial roads, which includes Hot Springs Road and a portion of Lillooet Avenue east of the Hot Springs Road intersection. The speed limits in the commercial area of the village as well as the school zone will be unchanged.
RELATED: 66% of British Columbians support lowering speed limits: survey
During a special council meeting in July, the council approved a speed limit reduction for all roads under the village’s authority. The speed decrease came as a recommendation from the village’s Active Transportation Master Plan.
Through the slower speed limit, village officials aim to make the streets more useable for cyclists, those living with disabilities, children and the elderly. Slowing down cars would also cut greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption.
“This will help the Village reduce our community carbon footprint and meet Provincial emission reduction targets,” village officials stated in a press release distributed on Friday, Oct. 28.
According to a Research Co. poll released earlier this summer, 66 per cent of B.C. residents who responded support reducing speed limits to 30 km/h on all residential streets in their municipality and slow speeds of arterial roads to 50 km/h. This is an increase of 8 per cent since the same survey was conducted in 2019. the idea was most popular in southern B.C., and 63 per cent of respondents who lived in the Fraser Valley were in favour of lowering speed limits.
– With files from Jenna Legge
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