Changes to playground zones in Edmonton confuse some drivers

You may have noticed you are slowing down more than normal in your neighbourhood. Or maybe you haven’t and you’ve been unaware that you’re speeding through new playground zones.

Starting in November, city crews started putting up signs for more than 400 playground zones. Once the speed signs are posted, the speed limit is in effect and enforceable from from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.

“I think what people are surprised to see now is that there’s a change in the hours,” Dennis Tetrault, traffic safety supervisor with the City of Edmonton, told Global News.

READ MORE: 30 km/h speed limit signs starting to go up around Edmonton playgrounds

The city said it hasn’t used photo enforcement during the new hours, but police officers are still allowed to pull you over if you are speeding. Officials hope that the grace period will give drivers a chance to get used to the new speed limits.

“We’re not going to be enforcing places where drivers aren’t used to seeing lower speeds at schools,” Tetrault said, adding that once spring break is over, that grace period will be over.

Driving at or below 30 kilometres per hour where children play reduces the distance travelled during reaction and braking time, thereby reducing the number of collisions, the force at which vehicles hit pedestrians and the severity of injuries, the city said.

READ  MORE: Edmonton to consider lowering speed limits in residential neighbourhoods

But some Edmontonians say more needs to be done to make sure drivers are aware of the changes.

Randy Payou lives near Millbourne Mall. He drives down 76 Street near 38 Avenue every day. He says he sees a lot of frustrated drivers who he believes don’t understand the new speed limit.

“That could potentially be dangerous,” he said, adding that when he travels home from work at around 5 p.m., drivers get upset when he follows the 30 km/h limit.

WATCH MORE: Are playground and school zone speed signs confusing?

“I’m all for the change,” Payou said. “I don’t mind people slowing down, especially in my neighbourhood.”

But he said more education before the signs went up could have stopped a lot of the issues. He wants to see more now.

“I just don’t understand if you’re not enforcing it and you’re not acknowledging it, what’s the point of changing the signs?” he said.

The city, however, believes there’s been plenty of education for drivers, citing a media campaign and access to information on the city’s website.

“It’s something we aren’t surprising people with,” Tetrault said. “We made the signs as visible as possible. All of the playground zones have reflective poles [with] sleeves on them.

“Basically, you see yellow, you slow down.”

With files from Emily Mertz