Speed limit changes on the horizon for Yorkton school zones

Yorkton, Sask. -

There may be a change to speed limits in Yorkton school zones next fall.

On Monday city council passed its first reading on a new, proposed bylaw. Due to a change in wording to the original bylaw, it was moved through into the consultation stage for the city, according to Mayor Mitch Hippsley.

"Predominantly, [this speed limit change] is about our children, because children aren't thinking as much as adults are,” he said.

The city is now asking residents to provide feedback online as part of its due diligence for the bylaw change, something that will be open to the public for the next three weeks.

The speed limit would be a change for most motorists, slowing down to 30 km/h in many areas instead of 40.

If approved, drivers will see changes for elementary, high school and park zones, broken down into three different areas.

Elementary school zones would be 30 km/h, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The same can be said for the new park areas and zones.

High school speed zones would be at 40 km/h, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Other changes were also made to Yorkton's roads.

They included changing a yield sign to a stop sign on Dalebrook Drive and Parkview Road, along with the elimination of the old Simpson School zone, which will now have a crosswalk, pending council's final review.

In the grand scheme of things, Hipplsey said slowing down isn't going to take much out of your commute.

"The difference between going from point A to point B, if you have to drop your speedometer by 10 kilometres, what does that mean? Does that mean an extra 20 seconds it took you longer, really? In a town this size? You can get right across town in eight minutes,” the mayor said.

People may also be wondering why the city wants to break elementary and high school speed zones up, to 30 and 40, respectively. city councillor, Darcy Zaharia explained their logic.

"Those kids (elementary) don't quite fully understand the rules yet. You look both ways before you cross the street, that kind of thing. They're really excited to get to the playground, maybe really excited to run away from school when they're done. It's just something, just to slow down,” he said.

The school zone switch isn't going to be immediate.

Council has decided to implement all of its changes when kids are back in class next September, pending the final go-ahead.