There are many roads in B.C. with un-posted speed limits where the default limit is 50 kilometres an hour, but that could change after the annual B.C. municipalities meeting next month.
The city of Victoria is spear-heading a motion to drop that limit by 10 kilometres an hour.
“Reducing the speed limit from 50 to 40 is one of those which we see as a powerful way of sending a strong message to drivers that the roadway is for everyone," said Victoria city councillor Shellie Gudgeon.
Gudgeon said as Victoria grows and density increases, the goal is to maintain the sense of community and make the city “as livable as possible”
But Vancouver Coun. Kerry Jang said he will vote against the motion when it comes up at the annual convention.
"I don't think it's necessary here in the city of Vancouver. We have a lot of short streets, we have a lot of traffic control, we have a lot of signage," he said.
Other communities across canada have toyed with the idea of changing the un-posted limit with mixed results.
The Chief Medical Health Office in Toronto advocated for a 40-kilometre limit but was voted down by the Health Board last year and Saskatoon had a similar result in 2011.
In Edmonton however, a pilot project gained traction and neighbourhoods with at least 60 per cent support can lower the speed limit to 40 kilometres an hour.
If the motion passes at the municipalities meeting, the provincial government would still need to amend the Motor Vehicle Act. The Ministry of Transportation refused to give CTV News details on whether it would abide by a UBCM-supported decision or how the Act would be ammended, saying it wouldn't comment on the matter until after the vote. The UBCM takes place September 16-20th in Vancouver.
With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Penny Daflos
