Speed Limits in Urban Areas: A New Approach

In spring 2015, the Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ) and the Table québécoise de la sécurité routière (Québec Road Safety Task Force, TQSR) published a new guide entitled Guide de gestion de la vitesse sur le réseau routier municipal en milieu urbain (Manual for managing speed on municipal road networks in urban areas). The purpose of the guide is to help municipalities make decisions regarding speed management on road networks in urban areas for which they are responsible.

Speed in urban areas is a major issue; recognized as one of the main factors contributing to road collisions and their severity, speed also affects quality of life and is regularly the subject of complaints from residents. The diagnosis can be complex and solutions fall within multiple spheres: speed limit regulation, road design, signage, road user awareness and police enforcement. In this context, a speed management strategy is essential.

The guide proposes an intervention approach and a new perspective in determining speed limits in urban areas. It is not only based on the characteristics of the road environment, but also takes into account the effects of speed on the risk of injury to pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. Overall planning based on the functional classification of the road network is also recommended.