Council eliminating some of Edmonton's 30-km/h playground zones

The City of Edmonton is reversing direction in some of the 180 speed zones around playgrounds introduced last year.

City council agreed Tuesday to modify about 25 speed zones from a list of nearly 50, which administration began reviewingin the spring.

Councillorsreceived a barrage of complaints from residents after the speed zones were installed last fall. People arguedsome were unnecessary, while others wereconfusing.

Coun. Michael Walters admitted decisions involving safety and roadsignageare not always easy.

"It's not a straight line," he said. "I think when administration and our council realizes that we didn't get something right, we need to go back and fix it."

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Kaskitayo Park, one of three playground speed zones in Walters' south Edmonton ward to be eliminated,hasa large field but no playground.

"That's the one I heard the most concern about, the one that seemed the silliest," he said.

While 20 will be eliminated, others will be shortened or, in some cases, extended.

Walters requested the 30 km/h zone on 40th Avenue at 119th Street be extended because the speed limit changes to 50 km/h just a few metres before the intersection.

Changing this zonewould alleviate "driver confusion," he said.

Administration suggestedkeeping several contested zones, including one near Millwoods Christian School in Coun. Mike Nickel's ward.

Many people in the community wantthe playground zone on Mill WoodsRoadbetween 91stStreet and 85th Street removed, Nickel said.

Area residentsconsider the zone a "photo radar trap," he said.

MillbourneRoadWest isan arterial road andthe school is more than 50 metres from the road with fencing all round theschool grounds, he said.

There are school zones to the west and north of the area, Nickelsaid.

"Virtually we have sterilized an entire portion of Mill Woods Rd. with school zones."

Too many signs

Speed zonesalso add to a proliferation of signs on streets with bike lanes such as106thStreet, south of Whyte Avenue, Walters said.

"There's a proliferation of signs that I've never seen before in my life, and there's a lot of questions about them," he said during the meeting.

"That number of signs is fodder for mockery, and it was, it was an absurd number of signs."

The city will take down some signs around the bike lanes and start removing the agreed upon playground zones over the holidays when students are on break.

In January, council is scheduled to revisit other amendments to the list.

@natashariebe