Speed limit changes approved for Southfork and Business Park

Starting June 28, 2021, a speed reduction pilot will take effect in the Southfork neighbourhood, where the residential speed limit will lower from 50 to 40 km/hour. At the same time, the speed limit in the Leduc Business Park, where there is less pedestrian traffic, will increase to 60 km/hour. These changes were approved during a Leduc City Council meeting on Monday, June 14.

The decision follows a public survey and live Q&A session hosted by the Traffic Advisory Committee (TAC) this past March to gather input from citizens about the proposed Southfork speed reduction pilot. Of the 287 residents who completed the survey:

• 109 (38%) were in favour of the proposed pilot
• 40 (14%) were in favour if there was a corresponding speed increase elsewhere with less pedestrian traffic
• 127 (44%) were not in favour of the proposed pilot
• 11 (4%) were unsure

“Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey and Q&A event,” said Leduc Mayor Bob Young. “To ensure our roads are as safe as possible, while also getting people where they need to go, there needs to be a balance between traffic flow and road safety. The low pedestrian traffic in the Leduc Business Park is why we’ve increased the speed limit in the area, while the Southfork residential speed reduction pilot is intended to help reduce collisions, lessen injuries, and prevent fatalities.”

The Southfork pilot is expected to be in place for approximately two years. Signs will be placed at both entries to the neighbourhood, and an education-first approach will be taken to enforcing the new speed limit.

Southfork was chosen for the pilot as it is a higher-density neighbourhood and a number of residents in the area have expressed speed-related concerns. It is also the most cost-efficient neighbourhood in which to implement the pilot, with only two entry/exit points requiring signage, which is estimated to cost between $2,000-4,000.

TAC will monitor the pilot and may consider data from speed awareness signs, instances of speeding complaints, and feedback from residents. No decisions on expanding the 40 km/hour speed limit to other neighbourhoods will be made until the pilot is evaluated.

Business/Industrial Park (outlined in black square): 

Southfork: