A city committee is calling for a speed limit reduction across all of Windsor's neighbourhoods.
The Environment, Transportation and Public Safety Standing Committee met Wednesday and approved a motion proposing the speed limit be dropped to 40km/h on all residential streets.
In a 3-2 vote, committee members Chris Holt, Kieran McKenzie and Gary Kaschak lent their support, stating many residents have been asking for the reduction in an effort to calm traffic.
Holt says speeding is one of the most common complaints he receives.
"I am of the mindset to move directly to the solution we all know is what our residents want. My number one complaint is speeding and traffic calming. It all comes down to taming the automobile in our residential areas," he says.
McKenzie says data from other municipalities shows lowering the speed limit will help.
"We've seen it in other communities and what really drove my interest in this issue is when I looked at what happened in the City of Toronto. There was a massive reduction in the number of pedestrian/vehicle collisions in residential areas where the speed limit was reduced," says McKenzie.
Kaschak says this is a conversation council needs to have.
"This discussion is warranted at city council. There's no doubt about it that all the councillors have heard this, as well as the mayor, about speeding and traffic calming and so on and so forth," he says. "So the committee is going to make a recommendation to move this to council and I think that's a good way. Let's have the discussion. Let's get delegates from the city there and let's do that."
Committee members Fred Francis and Fabio Costante voted against the proposal with Francis being the most vocal, stating there's no hard evidence to show a speed limit reduction will stop speeders.
The motion still has to go to council for a final vote — if approved, the cost to install new signs across the city is estimated at $734,000.