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30 km/h between 7:30am-9pm (7:30-21:00) every day where playground zone signs are posted. Extended hours:
There are currently 387 playground zones in Edmonton.
The yellow signs, commonly known as playground zone or school zone signs, are sometimes seen without the speed-limit posted below it. These signs mean a school is in the area or children may be playing nearby. Caution is required, but the 30 km/h speed limit does not apply.
You may see these signs where schools or playgrounds are located on arterial roads or near green spaces without playground equipment.
At the December 11, 2018, City Council meeting, Council approved modifications to 26 of the originally installed 407 playground zones. The changes included:
Playground Zone Modification List, December 11, 2018
At the February 5, 2019, City Council meeting, Council approved removal of two playground zones:
In the five years before playground zones were installed, there were 176 injury crashes involving children aged 15 years or younger on collector and local roadways (non-arterial).
When children are struck by vehicles, their injuries often result in life threatening or permanent damage. The faster a vehicle is moving, the greater the impact and the more devastating the results.
Children:
Where only a short distance would exist between playground areas, playground zones will be combined for an extended playground zone that covers the entire stretch. This prevents possible driver confusion from speeding up and slowing down multiple times in a short distance.
An example is 144 Avenue where Kildare School, Father Leo Green Junior High and Londonderry Junior High are one after another. Creating a single 30 km/h zone makes sense.
In the evening or on a weekend when school zones wouldn’t be in effect, the longest playground zone (800 m) will add 48 seconds to a person’s travel time. The average playground (200 m) adds about 12 seconds.
Where and when possible, driver feedback signs will be installed in long 30 km/h zones.
These are the most frequently asked questions around lower speed limits for school zones and playground zones. Find out why 30km/h will improve safety around areas where children learn and play.
Under ideal conditions, vehicles traveling at 50 km/h require 24-28 meters to stop. Add another 10 meters when roads are wet or icy. Vehicles traveling 30 km/h need only 8-10 meters in ideal conditions (and another 5 meters in poor conditions). By slowing down, motorists have a better opportunity to react when children are crossing the road, and students stand a better chance of surviving a pedestrian/vehicle collision.
At 30 km/h, nine out of 10 people would survive a car crash; at 40 km/h, seven out of 10 people would survive; and at 50 km/h, less than two out of 10 people would survive. The probability of a fatality or serious injury for people walking increases as the speed increases.
In the five years before playground zones were first installed, 65 injury collisions involving children aged 15 or younger have occurred in areas that were covered by the Playground Zones; 20% of these injuries resulted in the need for the children to be hospitalized.
In the five years before playground zones were first installed, four of the injury collisions in playground areas involving pedestrians 15 years and younger occurred between the hours of 8 and 9pm. This suggests that there are children who are using the playgrounds during the later hours.
In the last five years before playground zones were first installed, 17% of the injury collisions in playground areas involving pedestrians 15 years and younger occurred in the months of November, December and January. This suggests that there are children who are using the playgrounds during the winter months.
School zones were first installed in 2014 with a speed limit of 30 km/h and effective from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm during school days. Playground zones were installed in 2017 also with a speed limit of 30 km/h but in effect from 7:30 am to 9:00 pm every day. The inconsistency in the effective times of the reduced speed limit resulted in driver confusion. To avoid confusion, all school zones were converted to playground zones.
Extending the hours of 30km/h zones around schools protects children attending after-hour activities. In addition, having consistent start and end times for 30 km/h zones reduces driver confusion around what days and which hours reduced speed limits are in effect.
The speed limit in playground zones is 30 km/h between 7:30 am - 9:00 pm every day.
There are currently 386 playground zones in the City:
Young children are at the greatest risk for pedestrian-related injury and death. They lack the cognitive ability to judge speeds and safe situations. By installing playground zones around schools with elementary and junior high grades, we are able to protect the most vulnerable road users in Edmonton.
Playground zones are installed at schools on residential and collector roads, not arterial roads.
Any area where children frequent can be marked as a playground for the safety of the children, even if there is no playground equipment.
Motorists are required to slow down to 30 km/h from the start of the zone and stay at that rate of speed until after they have passed the sign which indicates the end of the 30 km/h zone.
Since major high-speed roads won’t be affected, this will mostly alter the first and last minute of a car drivers’ commute as they enter/exit quieter neighbourhood streets where average speeds are already low especially during non-ideal driving conditions, such as night, rain/snow storms, ice/snow ruts in winter, parked cars and narrower lanes and similar.
Reduced speed not only results in safer roads but also supports people using many methods of transportation, which ultimately reduces the number of vehicles using the roads and minimizes traffic congestion. In places that have implemented 30km/h speeds limits, there has been less traffic issues.
Also, the dominant cause of traffic congestion is intersection bottlenecks, such as traffic signals and stop signs, not midblock speed.
Yes. Unfortunately, some drivers only obey the speed limit when there is the threat of enforcement. The Edmonton Police Service, along with the City’s Traffic Safety section, use a combination of manned and automated enforcement in 30 km/h zones.
Note that EPS can enforce the 30 km/h speed limit from the moment the playground zone signs are posted.
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