In September of 2019, City Council directed Administration to create safe play zones at City parks. The result will be to have well identified, safe, play zones in our community. There is no federal or provincial legislation to establish speed zones. This means School and Park Zones fall under the City of Yorkton's jurisdiction.
Transportation Association of Canada
Since there is no Provincial or Federal requirements for Park or School speeds or zone lengths, the City used resources from the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC). TAC is a national non-profit technical organization that focuses on road and highway infrastructure and urban transportation. TAC guidelines are not legislated, but they create standards that are recognized as best practices across Canada. The School and Playground Area and Zones: Guidelines for Application and Implementation, that was developed by TAC, was used throughout the review process. TAC’s guidelines are based on the definition that Park and School areas should be designed to warn motorists of the possibility of typical or unexpected child pedestrian movements onto roads at unmarked crossing locations. The areas include near playground structures or other amenities that young children are attracted to, or gather at, and where the adult supervision is minimal or not present at all.
Park Zone or Area? What is the Difference?
Park Zones or Areas will be designated around various parks spaces in the City of Yorkton using TAC Standards. The focus is to reduce speeds and create awareness that children are playing in the area. The parks and schools received a recommendation on the type of zone required, be it a zone, an area, or if it was required at all.
A “zone” means there is a required speed reduction. Zones will be designated at high-use parks that attract children, or groups of children, and families to play. An “area” means that signs are in place to remind or warn motorists that a Park is near and there may be an increased number of children in the area, such as in an open green space with no playground structures or other attractive amenities.
| Park Zones | Park Areas |
|---|---|
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The following parks will receive a reduced speed limit:
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The following parks will not receive a reduced speed limit:
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TAC Guidelines provide the standard for defining where areas or zones start and end in relation to property lines. In all cases where changes or additions are proposed to zones and areas, they meet or exceed TAC Standards.
Reduced Speed Zones & Extended Times
Pedestrians have been shown to have a 90% chance of survival when struck by a car travelling 30 km/hr or below, but less than 50% chance of surviving in impact at 45 km/hr. The City will be reducing all Parks and Elementary School Zones to 30 km/hr and be in effect from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m, 7 days a week. The High School Zones will continue to be 40 km/hr in effect from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., 7 days a week. Currently, School Zones and some Park areas are all 40 km/hr and are in effect from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Enforcement is one tool that is used to obtain compliance. However, the City will be focusing on providing community education and awareness, to residents, schools and parents, prior to enforcement taking place.
The speed reductions will be implemented at the start of the school year in September 2022.
Community Consultation
The City connected with stakeholders throughout the review process. Stakeholders included all school administrators and council committees that are made up of community members.
- City Council Committees that were involved in the review process were:
- Recreation & Community Services Committee
- Planning & Infrastructure Commission
- Protective Services Committee
- Yorkton Active Transportation Collaborative (YATC)
Each Committee provided their concerns and administration considered the feedback and returned to the Committees with how the concerns were addressed.