The Town of Bracebridge is set to update speed limits throughout its municipal roadways.
Starting this year in urban areas, the town will lower speed limits following guidelines outlined in the Town’s 2023 Transportation Master Plan (TMP). The plan, which received Council approval in December 2023, includes recommendations based on a review by Town staff and input from ARCADIS Professional Services (Canada) Inc.
The most significant change involves reducing the default speed limit on local urban roads from 50 km/h to 40 km/h. Additionally, a small selection of rural roads will experience speed reductions beginning in 2026.
The TMP emphasizes safety as a priority, aligning with Vision Zero principles that advocate for reduced speeds to enhance stopping sight distances, decrease the likelihood of severe collisions, and facilitate greater accessibility in housing by relaxing driveway entrance requirements.
Key changes in the speed limit implementation include:
- A reduction to 40 km/h on most urban roads.
- Certain rural road limits adjusted to either 40 or 50 km/h, determined by criteria such as road curvature, surface characteristics, and traffic volume.
- School zones will remain under current regulations and are not affected by this update.
- A specific case on Ann Street will see the limit drop to 30 km/h to circumvent the need for a rail crossing upgrade.
The speed limit changes will be effective once new signage is installed, with approximately 320 new signs required across the town.
For further details, including a comprehensive list of affected roads, please visit bracebridge.ca/TMP.
Rick Maloney, Mayor of Bracebridge, expressed his support for the initiative: “The Town is committed to improving community safety and wellbeing. This update is about creating safer, more livable streets for all road users, drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and children. By reducing speed limits, we’re taking an important step toward making our roads safer and supporting community vibrancy.”
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Rural roads dropping to 40 km/h???? Better set aside 3 hours to go into town for grocery shopping. Perhaps a horse and buggy would be faster and with the added benefit of depositing their droppings where they belong.