Safe Speeds Downtown

During peak hours:

• Travel times along 2nd Ave and 4th Ave are not anticipated to be significantly impacted as average speeds during those times are already in line with the speed limit changes being considered.
• Travel times along side streets may be impacted, but given that the majority of travellers use major arterials, travel time impacts are expected to be minimal.

During non peak hours:

• Travel time is expected to be minimally to moderately impacted. Travel times are anticipated to increase to a maximum of approximately 20%.

Lowering speed limits is by no means a substitute for major road safety improvements. Lowering speed limits is just one of the tools for improving road safety and is low cost and easily implementable. 

The City is actively considering additional options for improving road safety in the Downtown area such as improved lighting, automatic enforcement technologies, enhanced pedestrian crossings, additional traffic signals, road design treatments, and more in the pending Citywide Transportation Study.

A blended speed limit reduction is being considered for Downtown Whitehorse as it results in the highest road safety benefits for Downtown streets, but still recognizes travel mobility, road safety and driver compliance considerations.

Lowering speed limits to 30 km/hr realizes many road safety benefits however does not consider travel mobility along major arterial roadways. Lowering speeds to 40 km/hr realizes some road safety benefits for major arterial roadways however not full road safety benefits for local side streets.

With this approach in mind the speed limits being considered are:

• 40 km/hr on major arterial roadways:
  • 2nd Ave from Two Mile Hill Rd/4th Ave to Lewes Blvd.
  • 4th Ave from 2nd Ave to Robert Service Way.
  • Robert Service Way from 2nd Ave to 4th Ave.
• 30 km/hr on all other local streets in the Downtown Whitehorse area.
• Existing school and playground zones remain unchanged.

Note: 6th Avenue is not considered a major arterial roadway but a local street. The speed limit being consdered for 6th Avenue is 30 km/hr.

The speed limit changes being considered are set by defining a "target speed." A target speed is the safe speed that vehicles should drive considering the adjacent land use and the presence of vulnerable users such as pedestrians and cyclists. Given the dense urban area that makes up Downtown Whitehorse and the high number of pedestrians and cyclists, the appropriate target speeds are 40 km/hr on major arterial roadways and 30 km/hr on local side streets.

The speed limit changes being considered are not anticipated to result in significantly more congestion than what is experienced today. 

Though traffic flow, and consequently congestion, is dependant on speed, it is also dependant on the density of vehicles. The lower the travelling speed on a roadway, the higher the vehicle density as more vehicles are able to follow each other in a given area. Thus, the higher the vehicle density, the higher the traffic flow and the lower the congestion.

The City does not have the authority to enforce “moving traffic” as this is the authority of the RCMP.

The City regularly collaborates with the RCMP to identify areas with significant road safety concerns. If speed limit changes are proposed by Council, the City will collaborate with the RCMP to ensure there is awareness of the new speed limits and conduct enforcement to ensure that the new speed limits are followed.

Research, evidence, and case studies from cities across North America show that there are significant road safety benefits from simply lowering speed limits to an appropriate "target speed," even in the absence of other road safety improvements. A target speed is the safe speed vehicles should drive considering the adjacent land use area and the number of vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists. Lowering speed limits is shown to reduce high-end speeding and reduce collisions, particularly severe injuries and fatalities. 

Major transportation planning considerations are being investigated in the pending Citywide Transportation Study. Please watch for public engagement opportunities during the creation of the study over the next year and a half.

Road safety is not just a matter of human decision making, but is also related to education, enforcement, engineering and emergency response. Each factor has a significant role in helping increase road safety and the City is exploring additional options for improving road safety that are within its jurisdiction and control, such as education and engineering.

The City in partnership with the RCMP and Yukon Government are exploring the possibilities for automated enforcement technologies such as cameras, radars, etc.

The City is aware of the multitude of road safety issues experienced in Downtown and throughout the City of Whitehorse. Road safety is not just a matter of human decision making, but is also related to education, enforcement, engineering and emergency response. Each factor has a significant role in helping increase road safety and the City is actively exploring a variety of measures to improve road safety that are within its jurisdiction and control, such as road safety education and engineering and design.

The City does not have the authority to enforce “moving traffic” as this is the authority of the RCMP.

Many cities across North America have engaged in speed limit reductions.

The City of Edmonton: speed limit reductions on residential roads from 50 km/hr to 40 km/hr resulted in a 26% reduction in crashes.

The City of Seattle: speed limit reductions on five arterial corridors from 50 km/hr to 40 km/hr resulted in a 22% reduction in crashes, 18% reduction in injuries, and 54% reduction in high-end speeding.

Other cities have recently initiated speed limit reductions of varying scope and size with promising early results: City of Minneapolis, City of Boston, City of New Orleans, City of North Vancouver

Speed limit reductions are not just limited to major cities. The City of Airdrie and the Municipality of Jasper already have reduced speed limits on municipal roadways.

Downtown is being considered first as this neighbourhood has a wide variety of transportation users such as pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and drivers, and because of ongoing and historical road safety concerns in the Downtown area.

Signage is included to remind drivers of the speed limits. Experience in other cities have shown that frequent spacing of regulatory signage can result in significant road safety benefits.

For more information, see pages 12 to 13 of the Memorandum on Safety Interventions and Downtown Speed Reduction.

Road safety is an ongoing concern in Downtown Whitehorse and the City wants to ensure that Downtown is a safe and vibrant place to live, work, and play.

The speed limit changes being considered are intended to align the speed limits to an appropriate “target speed.” A target speed is the safe speed that vehicles should drive considering the adjacent land use and the presence of vulnerable users such as pedestrians and cyclists. Given the dense urban area that makes up Downtown Whitehorse and the high number of pedestrians and cyclists, the appropriate target speeds are 40 km/hr on major arterial roadways and 30 km/hr on local side streets.

Retaining and enforcing the existing speed limits is suitable provided the existing speed limits reflect an appropiate "target speed." However, the latest research, evidence, and best transportation practice suggest that speed limits in Downtown do not represent safe or appropriate "target speeds" that consider the adjacent land use area or the presence of vulnerable users, such as pedestrians and cyclists.

The City does not have the authority to enforce “moving traffic” as this is the authority of the RCMP.