Saskatoon city council paves way for new playground and school speed zones

Saskatoon may soon be joining cities like Regina, Calgary and Edmonton by implementing playground speed zones as of Sept. 1.

School speed zones will also be adjusted and both will be in effect from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Jay Magus is the city’s director of transportation. He said what Saskatoon is doing now — with school zones in effect Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. during the school year — is the exception rather than the rule in many cities.

“We want to improve safety in our neighbourhoods,” Magus said. “We did a lot of research and homework and looked at what a lot of other cities are doing. There was (the) consistent application of seven days a week. There was consistent application of longer period for the school zones.”

Going forward, playgrounds will be defined as a park space with play equipment or outdoor or indoor athletic facilities like sports fields, ball diamonds, splash parks and skating rinks. Magus said the new rules align with Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) guidance.

Magus said signs will likely start going up in a few months. But there will be a grace period during which drivers won’t be ticketed.

“Between now and Sept. 1, we will be making all of the changes in the field in terms of revising signs (and) installing signs for playgrounds and school zones,” he said.

The only school zones not affected will be near St. Mary’s Community School and Ecole Henry Kelsey, on Saskatoon’s west side. Safety studies will be conducted in those areas first.

The decision to implement the new speed zone times and dates wasn’t unanimous at Monday’s council meeting. Councillors David Kirton, Randy Donauer, Troy Davies, Zack Jeffries and Darren Hill all voted against the recommendation.

“I’m just not sure why all the recommended changes from city council are not mentioned in the policy change. TAC guidelines I do not believe include 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.,” Donauer said.

Coun. Cynthia Block also introduced a motion for administration to report back on the feasibility of adding flashing lights on school zone signs. That motion was carried.

Magus said the next step in the process is for council to approve traffic bylaw changes in the coming months.