Vision Zero Road Safety Framework

Cathedral Community Safety Zone

City Council approved the creation of a Community Safety Zone in the Cathedral neighbourhood on April 10, 2024. The 40 km/h speed limit in this Community Safety Zone will become enforceable in summer 2024.

Background

The City of Regina is developing a new Framework to improve safety for all road users in Regina, including pedestrians, drivers and cyclists, over the next five years. Vision Zero is a concept that uses a data-driven and safe systems approach to improve traffic safety in the community, with a goal of eliminating all injury and fatality collisions on our transportation network.

As part of the Vision Zero program, the City is planning to create Regina’s first Community Safety Zone in the Cathedral neighbourhood.

Community Safety Zones provide enhanced protection for all road users in higher-risk areas by implementing a reduced speed limit of 30 km/h, in addition to other road safety measures. The Cathedral neighbourhood was selected to be the first Community Safety Zone because it has a high volume of vulnerable road users and features a unique mix of land uses including schools, daycares and an active commercial centre.

Cathedral Community Safety Zone

City Council approved the creation of a Community Safety Zone in the Cathedral neighbourhood on April 10, 2024. The 40 km/h speed limit in this Community Safety Zone will become enforceable in summer 2024.

Background

The City of Regina is developing a new Framework to improve safety for all road users in Regina, including pedestrians, drivers and cyclists, over the next five years. Vision Zero is a concept that uses a data-driven and safe systems approach to improve traffic safety in the community, with a goal of eliminating all injury and fatality collisions on our transportation network.

As part of the Vision Zero program, the City is planning to create Regina’s first Community Safety Zone in the Cathedral neighbourhood.

Community Safety Zones provide enhanced protection for all road users in higher-risk areas by implementing a reduced speed limit of 30 km/h, in addition to other road safety measures. The Cathedral neighbourhood was selected to be the first Community Safety Zone because it has a high volume of vulnerable road users and features a unique mix of land uses including schools, daycares and an active commercial centre.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our conversation on Vision Zero. While our Question & Answer tool is currently closed, you can contact the team at visionzero@regina.ca should you have any questions.

  • What is the reasoning behind blanketing the entire area in a 30km zone 24 hours a day? There is not any more traffic on the side streets in Cathedral than in other neighborhoods so the high volume of vulnerable users hardly applies on all the streets.

    Kt asked 7 months ago

    Thank you for your comments. Community-wide speed limits reductions are expected to provide consistency for drivers navigating through various streets within the neighbourhood. This reduces confusion, improves predictability and enhances consistent driving behaviour, leading to safer driving and overall safety for all road users. The lower speed limits can make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists, encouraging more people to walk or bike within the community.  This promotes healthier and more sustainable neighbourhoods.

  • Why does Vision Zero consider a pedestrian's life to be more valuable than a cyclists? The calming curves installed on 13th Avenue end up pushing cyclists into traffic making it more dangerous for cyclists and slower and more irritating for drivers. What is more infuriating is that they likely could have designed and built in a manner that would have allowed for cyclists to pass through while still providing the intended effect. What faith are citizens to have in the competency, thoroughness and effectiveness of Vision Zero where simple solutions are lost upon implementation?

    DH asked 7 months ago

    Vision Zero works on the fundamental principle of ensuring the safety of all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and drivers through an equitable approach. The need to prioritize pedestrian safety along 13th Avenue is the result of a concerning number of pedestrian involved collisions within the area, including two that resulted in fatalities in 2023. Curb extensions are expected to improve safety for both pedestrians and cyclists as they increase visibility, shorten crossing distances and help slow down the speed of vehicles. As such, the traffic calming curbs increase driver awareness and help them safely share the road with cyclists and other modes of transportation.

  • Has the city consider the impact on business for commuter traffic that will now divert around Cathedral? Thousands commute from south neighbourhoods to downtown for work daily through Cathedral. The impact of reducing speeds means alternative routes will be found making picking up takeout/bread/wine/something for the baby/pet/office from Cathedral area business far less attractive. It's akin to when the city built City Square and the business that left and never returned. Why is Cathedral being targeted? What is the point of having safer streets if economic decline makes everything worse?

    DH asked 7 months ago

    The Community Safety Zone is not expected to have a large impact on business activities as it will not be eliminating access, only proposing a reduced speed limit to create a safer environment for all road users, including pedestrians. Community-wide speed limit reduction can make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists, encouraging more people to walk or bike. This increases perceived safety among the community, likely attracting more customers and new business to the area. As drivers pass through the area more slowly, we hope this will help local businesses catch the eyes of a few more customers.

  • Further to my first question and your response Thanks for the info. To clarify, the only data that has been provided is that incidents have occurred on 13th Ave. This matches with the anecdotal information that Councillor Stevens provided at the open house. Most of the “mix of schools, daycares, businesses, churches” is also along 13th Ave. Since the open house I have chatted with two people in the neighbourhood. They both thought that the 30 km speed limit was only being applied to 13th Ave and while they were in favour of that, they were not in favour of it being applied to the whole neighbourhood. So maybe a bit of a communication gap in the neighbourhood. Based on the data that has been provided I can’t see why the speed limit change would be applied beyond 13th Ave. Do you have additional data that would help change my mind?

    CN asked 7 months ago

    According to SGI collision data, there has been pedestrian involved accidents throughout the Cathedral Neighbourhood on roadways such as 13th Avenue, Elphinstone Street and Victoria Avenue. Community-wide speed limits reductions are expected to provide consistency for drivers navigating through various streets within the neighbourhood. This reduces confusion, improves predictability and enhances consistent driving behaviour, leading to safer driving and overall safety for all road users. The lower speed limits can make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists, encouraging more people to walk or bike within the community.  This promotes healthier and more sustainable neighbourhoods.

  • Has anyone considered the impact on businesses if speed limits are reduced? There will be traffic jams and I know people who will not shop there if this goes through. When I was young we walked and biked everywhere and not once did we get hit by a car. We were taught to stop, look, and listen before crossing the road. We were also taught to obey stop signs and stop lights. We were taught that a car, if it hits us, will win. Pedestrians need to also watch out for their safety, not assume everyone else will do it for them. Perhaps pedestrians should use the red flashing pedestrian lights to cross the road, instead of randomly coming from between parked cars without looking. They should also put their phone away. Just sayin'.

    S R asked 8 months ago

    Thank you for your comments. 

    The Community Safety Zone is not expected to have a large impact on business activities as it will not be eliminating access, only proposing a reduced speed limit to create a safer  environment for all road users, including pedestrians. If approved and implemented, our team will monitor and evaluate for adjustments as required. Thank you once again for the feedback.

  • Will you be changing the lighting in the neighbourhood?

    dude asked 8 months ago

    Thank you for your question. 

    We are currently in the process of reaching out to SaskPower to see if improvements can be made with the current lighting infrastructure in place.

  • what are the "other measures" that are being considered? Do you have a plan? Is this a blanket 30km 24/7? how will this effect rush our traffic? How will this affect business? Will there be cameras?

    dude asked 8 months ago

    Thank you for your questions. 

    Vision Zero has numerous action items that will be implemented throughout the City over the next years. In Cathedral, other measures include new traffic calming measures along 13th avenue, such as  traffic calming curbs, improved signage and enhanced pavement markings. The Community Safety Zone is not expected to have a major impact on existing traffic patterns as full access is still maintained throughout the neighbourhood.

  • are there going to be more neighbours adapting Vision Zero?

    dude asked 8 months ago

    Thank you for your question.

    Vision Zero is a City wide initiative that aims to eliminate all fatalities and serious injuries on our roadways. It has a wide ranging set of initiatives around the Framework's five focus areas of Intersections, Aggressive Driving (speeding), Vulnerable Road Users, Impaired Driving and Distracted Driving. These initiatives will be carried out by the City, and in collaboration with our community partners. One of initiatives, the Community Safety Zone, is currently proposed for the Cathedral Area in 2024.

  • I went to the information session and shared my feedback there but forgot to mention, there is a pretty active Facebook group called Regina Cathedral Neighbourhood that includes a lot of discussion on this and other safety topics that may be of value to City of Regina in informing the elected of public sentiment.

    Alyssa asked 8 months ago

    Thank you for coming to the information session to learn more on Vision Zero and the Community Safety Zone initative. We appreciate your feedback and bringing this Facebook group to our attention!

  • Do you have data specific to the Cathedral area on where and how many serious injuries and fatalities occurred and how these numbers compare to other neighborhoods

    CN asked 8 months ago

    Thank you for your question.

    To develop a Vision Zero Framework, our Consultant did a five-year review of SGI collision data for the City as a whole to identify the five focus areas and action plan.

    With respect to the Community Safety Zone, the Cathedral neighbourhood was selected as there is a mix of schools, daycares, businesses, churches, and housing within the Cathedral area that see high vulnerable road users, including pedestrians and cyclists. In the past ten years, there have been 14 collisions with pedestrians along 13th Avenue alone. In 2023, there were two pedestrian fatalities that occurred within the Cathedral neighbourhood. This is what led us to prioritize this area first, over other areas.

    After implementation of the Cathedral Community Safety Zone, our team will continue to and screen SGI collision data to identify other areas that would be suitable candidates for a future Community Safety Zone. 

Page last updated: 12 Aug 2024, 09:51 AM