Town of Portugal Cove – St. Philip’s Speed Limit Policy
Location: Portugal Cove, NL, Canada
Client: Portugal Cove – St. Philips
Duration: 2016
Key Staff: Michael MacDonald, Robin King
Project Description
Harbourside Transportation Consultants (HTC) was retained by the Town of Portugal Cove-St. Philips’s to develop a Speed Limit Policy. The policy provides guidelines for establishing and reviewing posted speed limits within the Town.
As transportation Engineers, the intent of the policy was to ensure that safe speed limits are set and to strike a balance between a variety of objectives. These objectives included convenience, efficiency, energy conservation, and minimizing environmental impact.
Harbourside’s Role
Harbourside reviewed existing and proposed speed limits using the principles outlined by the Transportation Association of Canada’s (TAC) Guidelines for Establishing Speed Limits. Speed limits in school zone were treated separately.
A policy was developed, outlining the procedure for the review of speed limits on an annual basis. This would includes carrying out a program of speed and traffic volume date collection. The policy also outlines the process to be followed when a member of the public submits a request to change the speed limit at a specific location.
Unique Challenges
Any policy developed had to account for the differing objectives, and various stakeholders. The needs of the town, local businesses, and residents were sometimes at odds, and needed to be reconciled with a policy that worked for everyone.
Social Impact
Speed limits are set with the intention of improving safety and reducing the frequency of collisions. With that in mind, they are also used to control the flow of traffic, and to keep vehicles moving at an optimal rate. Creating a well-thought-out speed limit policy ensured that both these goals could be achieved in the area around Portugal Cove.