Speed Reduction on Local Roads

In 2025/2026,  the Town explored reducing speed limits on local roads from 50km/h to 30km/h to improve safety for road users, including drivers and people who walk, bike, or ride a scooter.

Public engagement

In fall 2025, the Town sought community input on lowering speed limits on local streets (excluding collector, arterial, and provincial roads) and received 981 responses to an online survey. Only 32% supported a 30 km/h limit across all local roads, but many highlighted specific streets where lower speeds were needed.

Targeted Speed Limit Reductions

Council is now implementing targeted speed limit reductions.

• 30 km/h speed limit

On March 9, 2026 Council approved reducing the speed limit to 30 km/h on the following residential streets near Sidney Elementary School, some of which already have limits of 30km/h, which needed to be formalized.

• Brethour Avenue (between Resthaven and Seventh)
• Chicory Place
• Simkin Place
• Henry Avenue (from Resthaven to the Highway west of Siddall)
• Buddleia Place
• Seventh Street (from James White Boulevard to Henry Ave)

Mills Road East will be designated at 30 km/h and re-classified as a Local Road, along with Judson Place and Cottoneaster Place.

Additionally, Northbrook Drive between Westbrook and Eastbrook Drive – which is already signed as 30 km/h – will be formalized in the bylaw along with Teale Place and Natasha Place as 30 km/h roads.

• 20 km/h speed limit

Council also approved 20 km/h speed limits on roads classified as lanes.

Next steps

This spring, the Town plans to undertake a traffic and bike use study to better understand how Bowerbank Bikeway Corridor is being used and how traffic patterns have changed on the surrounding roads. Once that information in available, Council will consider whether to reduce the speed limit on the Bowerbank Bikeway Corridor to 30 km/h and whether to reduce the speed limit on Resthaven Drive between Mills Road and McDonald Park Road to 40 km/h.

The Town will also be reaching out to the Victoria Airport Authority to discuss increasing the speed limit on Stirling Way to 50 km/h while adding a cautionary 40 km/h sign at the curve.

This targeted approach to speed limit reductions is consistent with existing reduced-speed areas in Sidney, including the downtown core, the SHOAL Centre, and school zones.