A posted 30-kilometre-per-hour speed limit sign on Uplands Dr. is technically unenforceable and is one of many examples around Nanaimo where school zone signage may be not required. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Nathan Maley

30 km/h

Revised road scoring system to adjust Nanaimo school zones

Feb 13, 2024 | 4:35 PM

NANAIMO — The City is looking for better consistency and a more data-driven approach in determining where school zones are placed and managed.

Councillors supported a new school zone policy at the committee level on Monday, Feb. 12, which looks at how traffic moves around elementary schools within Nanaimo city limits. The policy would determine what roads become a 30-kilometre-per-hour school zone, and which are designed as ‘school areas’.

Manager of transportation Jamie Rose told councillors while ‘school zones’ drop speeds of passing vehicles, ‘school areas’ can act as an initial layer of notice for drivers approaching a school and be more suitable in some circumstances.

“School areas are signs that can be used beyond the frontage of the school. That fundamentally is a warning sign used to indicate to drivers they’re in the vicinity of a school but they don’t have a reduced speed limit.”

A revised matrix for determining where to apply 30-kilometre per hour school zones, looking at surrounding infrastructure, road types and other factors. This example focuses on Uplands Elementary. (City of Nanaimo)

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What areas become a ‘school zone’ versus a ‘school area’ would be determined by a scoring system, taking into consideration things like road type, sidewalks, crosswalks and fences.

Different point values are assigned with either a school zone, school area or no action then recommended.

Rose stressed any changes to area school zones would be gradual, and done only after active transportation reviews with each respective school, or during road resurfacing projects along affected streets.

He cited Metral Dr. as a recent example, where a 30-kilometre-per-hour zone was removed in favour of a more general school area.

Uplands Dr. is one roadway which would see adjustments, affecting the elementary school a block away.

The newly adopted matrix would deem Uplands Dr. a ‘school area’ as it does not immediately border the school grounds.

Nearby sidewalks and crosswalks also favour the implementation of a school area over the current school zone.

Under the new matrix, 30 kilometre per hour school zones on Uplands Dr. would be removed, in favour of school area signs advising drivers of the nearby school. (Google Maps)

Councillors were told many facets of the current City policy were not consistent with the Motor Vehicle Act.

In some cases, speeding tickets issued in school zones which don’t immediately border elementary schools are often unenforceable under the Act.

Coun. Ian Thorpe said safety is obviously paramount for children going to and from school, as is staying in line with the provincial regulations.

He added partnership with School District 68 and all the neighbourhoods would be paramount in seeing the changes being supported.

“Each individual school would have an important role to play in notifying their school neighbourhood of what the rules are, what the signs will look like and remind everybody to slow down.”

Coun. Ben Geselbracht was the lone vote against the policy change and said he’d rather have more speed limit signs up rather than taking them away.

Councillors must still formally adopt the policy at a future council meeting before any consultation for a particular case could begin.

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