CENTRE WELLINGTON – Watch out lead-foot drivers. Speed limits are about to be reduced in 28 road segments across the township.
Council voted in favour of the staff recommendation at its Oct. 28 meeting.
The default speed limit on urban roads in Centre Wellington is 50 kilometres per hour and on rural roads it’s 80.
Speed limits will drop to 40km/h on the identified urban streets and 60km/h on the identified rural roads.
In addition to the road segments presented to council in April, 40km/h flashing signs will be installed on St. David St North between Woodhill Drive and Parkside Drive.
They will flash at times of day when children are typically on their way to or from school.
And after receiving concerns from residents, staff recommended lowering the speed limit from 50 to 40km/h on Union Street from Tower Street to South River Road; and from 60 to 50km/h on South River Road from Union Street West to 180 metres east of Haylock Avenue.
Staff also recommend lowering the speed limit on bridge 1E on the 7th Line, between Eramosa-West Garafraxa Townline and Sideroad 30, from 80 to 50km/h.
Though the bridge is planned to be rehabilitated in 2026, the lower speed limit allows it to conform with the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code.
Manager of engineering Adam Gilmore said the 40km/h neighbourhood pilot project last year in Elora’s York Street East neighbourhood,, between Waterloo Street and Bridge Street, seemed effective.
Gilmore noted that in June 2023, 85 per cent of drivers in the area were travelling at 47.2km/h. Once signs were installed and people got used to it, speeds dropped to 43.8km/h.
“It seems effective,” he said. “We can look at other neighbourhoods.”
Councillors asked about enforcement.
Gilmore said staff has gone through the updated document with the OPP.
If people notice a problem with speeding, they can reach out to OPP directly and also go to the “report it” tab on the township’s website.
He anticipates new speed limit signs will be installed throughout 2025.
The full report with all the new speed limits for road segments, can be found in the Oct. 28 council agenda.
