Rob Ford doesn't support lowering residential speed limits

TORONTO - Mayor Rob Ford doesn’t feel the need to lower your speed.

Ford confirmed Wednesday he’s still against the recommendation from Toronto Public Health to reduce speed limits on residential streets to 30 km/h.

“No, I don’t support lowering the speed limit,” Ford said. “I think I’ve made that quite clear. We need to keep traffic flowing and I do not support the recommendations from public health.

“I believe our streets are safe. Obviously, you’re always going to get people that speed, the police do a great job of enforcing that when they can but again I do not support reducing speed limit down to 30 km/h.”

Mayoral candidate John Tory said he’s against the “blanket policy” of reducing the speed on residential streets.

“I think the most effective things we can do to clear up traffic on the major arteries so people aren’t forced off onto the residential streets where they don’t belong,” Tory said. “And secondly, ever vigilant and increased public education both of drivers and pedestrians.”

Fellow candidate Olivia Chow said she wants to enable neighbourhoods to request a lower speed limit if there is a consensus.

“Right now they do it block by block, street by street and that process is really quite long,” Chow said. “If the neighbours want to lower a speed limit in a neighbourhood, absolutely.

“It should be from the ground up, you want the neighbours to come together and ask for it. I don’t believe in top down solutions.”
Please share this