Letter from Mayor Fred Haynes, District of Saanich, Re: Regional Speed Limit Pilot Project

Sent via email: mayorscreech@viewroyal.ca

March 15, 2022

Mayor David Screech and Council 45 View Royal Avenue Victoria, BC V9B 1A6

Dear Colleagues,

It has been quite some time since I provided an update on the Regional Speed Limit Pilot Project. Late last year, we learned the Ministry does not have a timeframe to begin the second phase of the BC Motor Vehicle Act Part 13 pilot projects. This is very unfortunate as utilizing the Part 13 Pilot Projects portion of the Act is the only realistic way to modify the default speed limit on roadways in our municipalities without broader Motor Vehicle Act reform.

Recent correspondence to UBCM by Minister Fleming provided a few examples where municipalities have changed the default speed limits but, unfortunately, the approach appears contrary to the general understanding of the BC Motor Vehicle Act (MVA) and BC case law. We don’t feel that the examples cited comply with the MVA and therefore would not be enforceable for Saanich if challenged in court.

This leaves Saanich in a position where we need to pivot to an alternative approach. On February 28th, Saanich Council endorsed recommendations from a staff report which provides Council with a path forward towards Vision Zero by way of developing a Road Safety Action Plan. Council recognized that lowering speed limits will be a key part of the road safety action plan and also asked for development of a Council Speed Limit Establishment Policy that would work within the existing statutory powers of the BC MVA and would, in part, be in modelled on the National Association of Transportation Officials (NACTO) guide, City Limits: Setting Safe Speed Limits on Urban Streets. The NACTO process is data-driven and provides a logical progression of steps to allow staff to assess and lower speed limits. The purpose of the Saanich Speed Establishment Limit Policy is to establish policy direction and outline a process to identify and implement progressive speed limit changes.

While utilizing the existing powers of the MVA is not the easy path forward, it is the option that is available at this time, and from our perspective we recognize the importance of this issue and the need to begin implementing changes on our streets.

So, for now the work on the Regional Pilot Project has stopped. Should the Ministry change course and continue with the Part 13 Pilot we will pick up where we left off as we still feel there is immense value in the approach and having a regional consistency, but for the time being we will be moving ahead on changes within Saanich under our existing powers of the MVA.

Thank you all for your support and participation in the potential pilot project work over the past few years. I look forward to further collaboration at the regional level on transportation issues in the future.

Yours sincerely,

Fred Haynes Mayor

c. Saanich Council Harley Machielse, Director of Engineering