Councillors propose reduced speed limit on one Kitsilano street

Two city councillors are proposing reducing the speed limit on a busy Kitsilano neighbourhood stretch of road.

OneCity councillor Christine Boyle and Green councillor Pete Fry have made a motion to see the entire length of Cornwall Avenue reduced from 50 km/h to 30 km/h. 

The move comes nearly a year after a five-year-old girl was struck and seriously injured at the corner of Arbutus and Cornwall Ave.

"I started hearing very quickly from residents after that accident that it's been a dangerous intersection for a very long time, with a long track record of accidents and injuries," said Coun. Boyle.

Banning left turns at Arbutus and Cornwall was the first step in making the area safer last year, said Boyle.

The 1.8 kilometers of Cornwall sees roughly 27 injuries or fatalities each year, according to statistics collected by Vision Zero.

The volunteer-led organization looks at strategies to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries.

"The city has known that (Arbutus and Cornwall) has been really dangerous for at least 10 years. There was a study done 10 years ago that showed this intersection was a signifcant source of violent car accidents," said Jade Buchanan, a volunteer with Vision Zero.

He says the 20 kilometer speed reduction could make a lifetime of a difference.

He says a person's chance of survival from being hit by a car going 50 km/h is about 20 per cent.

While for those who get hit at 30 km/h, the survival rate is 90 per cent.

If the councillors' motion passes, it could be implemented as soon as July 2023. It would then be reevaluated as a pilot project in the spring of 2024.