School Area Speed Limits

Streets were chosen for speed limit reduction based on the following criteria:

• Streets fronting school property, or;
• Streets approaching school driveways or entrances, or;
• Streets with pathways connecting to school properties

Speed limit reductions and Community Safety Zones were applied to roads as follows:

• Arterial roads were reduced to 40 kilometres per hour and were signed as a Community Safety Zone
• High-capacity collector roads were reduced to 40 kilometres per hour and were signed as a Community Safety Zone
• Low-capacity collector roads were reduced to 30 kilometres per hour and were signed as a Community Safety Zone
• Local roads with school frontage were reduced to 30 kilometres per hour and were signed as a Community Safety Zone
• Local roads leading to a school driveway or entrance were reduced to 30 kilometres per hour
• Local roads with walkway access to school properties were reduced to 40 kilometres per hour

Streets in school areas were reduced to either 40 kilometres per hour or 30 kilometers per hour based on their classification.

• Local roads and low capacity collector roads were reduced to 30 kilometres per hour.
• High capacity collector roads and Arterial roads were reduced to 40 kilometres per hour.

More information about road classification can be found in the City of Peterborough Official Plan Schedule B - Road Network.

The Highway Traffic Act allows for the designation of an area as a Community Safety Zone if, in Council's opinion, public safety is of special concern on that part of the highway. Community Safety Zones in the City of Peterborough are active at all hours of the day every month of the year. 

Fines may be increased for traffic violations within a Community Safety Zone.

Speed limit area signs are used to designate an entire neighbourhood as having a reduced speed limit without having to sign each individual street. 

These areas can be identified by blue area signs, which are located at every entry and exit point of the reduced speed area. The speed limit signs associated with the blue area signs apply to all roads within the area unless signed otherwise.

Traffic engineering measures can be used to further inform drivers they are entering a school area and there is a need to be alert and slow down. Traffic engineering measures can be implemented using road safety treatments, such as:

• Pavement markings
• Road signs
• Delineators and vertical centerline treatments
• Electronic driver feedback signs

There are five school areas, one in each ward, where the road safety treatments will be piloted to determine their effectiveness in slowing vehicular traffic, as well as identify any operational or maintenance challenges associated with the treatments. These initial pilot areas are: 

1. St. Patrick's Catholic Elementary School
2. Edmison Heights Public School
3. Ecole Catholique Monseigneur-Jamot
4. St. Alphonsus Catholic Elementary School and Keith Wightman Public School
5. Queen Mary Public School

Road safety treatments will be rolled out to remaining school areas following the evaluation of the five pilot areas, as funding permits. 

Reduced speed limits have previously been used in some school areas specifically during school arrival and dismissal times. These reduced speed limits were only enforceable when the flashing beacons were active.

School areas are often used outside of school times for extracurricular activities, use of sports fields and playgrounds, and other community events. Full time speed limit reductions no longer require flashing beacons and are enforceable at all times of the day. This method currently follows best practices across other Ontario municipalities. 

At this time Traffic Staff are focusing efforts on speed limit reduction in school areas only. Speed limit reductions in other neighbourhoods are being investigated by Transportation Planning as part of a project approved in the 2024 budget.