The City of Burnaby is making streets safer for students and all Burnaby residents by expanding the hours of 30 km/h school zones in Burnaby to 7am-10pm (previously 8am-5pm), and installing speed humps near 36 schools and 36 parks.
"This is about protecting our children and building a community where walking is an easy and safe choice," said Mayor Mike Hurley. “As Burnaby moves to make streets safer for students and families, we also encourage the Provincial government to consider a B.C.-wide approach to traffic calming measures around parks and school zones.”
Expanding school zone hours is intended to better reflect when students are likely to be near schools for extracurricular activities and speed humps are a proven tool to reduce traffic speeds. This project responds to a request from the Burnaby Board of Education and the City’s Parks, Recreation & Culture Commission, and aligns with the City-wide Vision Zero target in the draft Burnaby Transportation Plan (zero deaths and serious injuries on Burnaby’s transportation network). It also supports the Transportation Plan’s Mode Split target of shifting people to more sustainable forms of transportation such as walking.
This month, City staff will replace approximately 600 signs to reflect the expanded school zone hours. Speed hump installation near schools and parks will begin this year with an aim to have all of the approximately 200 speed humps installed by 2026. Residents will be notified in advance when speed humps are being installed on their block. School zone hours are in effect on weekdays when school is in session.
“This expansion of school zone hours and adding more speed humps by schools and parks makes roads safer where children learn and play,” said Burnaby Board of Education Chair Jen Mezei. “It also recognizes that schools are the heart of a community, and our buildings and grounds are used earlier in the morning and into the evening for classes and activities. We’re grateful to the City of Burnaby for acting on the request from the Burnaby Board of Education and putting in place these additional measures to better protect children and youth.”
Reducing speeds to 30 km/h dramatically enhances safety by reducing the likelihood and severity of a crash. Research shows that the risk of death from being hit by a car travelling at 50 km/h is six times higher than by a car travelling at 30 km/h.
The City is also launching a public awareness campaign to ensure drivers are aware of the extended school zone speed limits. Notification will be posted in print media, as well as through targeted online advertisements and social media.
Burnaby RCMP supports the plan to expand the 30 km/h school zone hours, and other traffic calming measures around parks and school zones. RCMP members will initially focus on educating and warning motorists but will transition to enforcement and issuing tickets in April 2021.
This is Climate Action
Traffic calming projects support significant actions in This is Climate Action, a framework developed to guide how the City will put into action its commitment to be “carbon neutral” (no longer contributing to the carbon emissions that accelerate climate change) by 2050. Projects that reduce traffic speeds are shown to improve safety, assisting the community in the shift to sustainable modes of travel such as walking and cycling.
Media Contacts:
Chris Bryan
Manager, Corporate Communications
Corporate Communications and Marketing Departments
604-570-3616 | [email protected]
Dana Bales
Managing Director, Communications & Community Engagement
Burnaby School District
604-296-6900 Ext. 661110 | [email protected]