Drivers in Regina will need to start slowing down more than they are used to when passing through school zones starting in September.
City of Regina workers posted the first 30 kilometres per hour speed limit sign near Glen Elm Community School Tuesday afternoon. The event marks the beginning of an extensive city-wide project that will see a total of 93 school zones in the municipality have their signs changed over to the new speed limit.
The speed limit will be in effect from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. once we’re in September.
Faisal Kalim, the traffic engineering manager for the City of Regina, said motorists need to remember the important date for when the new speed limit is in effect will be coming up in a couple months from now.
“We have an implementation date of September 1st. We want to be geared up and ready for the 2019-2020 school year,” he said while speaking to the media outside of Glen Elm School.
Around 1,200 signs will need to be changed over while crews make the rounds over the next several weeks.
Some drivers may notice the majority of school zones still have the old 40 kilometres per hour signs up. The process for the switch will take place over the summer, which Kalim believes will be wrapped up by the end of August.
Once those chances are in effect, should motorists be worried about the delay in their commute to work or if they are in a rush to their destination? Kalim says drivers should hardly notice.
“For an average school zone in the city at 40 kilometres per hour, it takes about 14 seconds to get through a zone. Now at 30 kilometres per hour, that’ll be raised to 18 seconds,” explained Kalim. “It’s about a four-second delay that we’re introducing to the system, so it’s not significant.”
Crews will be looking at finishing up two school zones per day to reach their target in August.
