ATTACHMENT No.

1
CITY OF VAUGHAN
CORPORATE POLICY
POLICY TITLE: ESTABLISHING SPEED LIMITS ON CITY ROADWAYS

POLICY NO.: XX.X.XX

Section: Roads, Traffic & Operations

Effective Date of Last
July 1, 2021 Click or tap to enter a date.
Date: Review:
Approval Authority: Policy Owner:
Council DCM, Public Works

POLICY STATEMENT
A policy to establish speed limits ranging from 30km/h to 80 km/h on all City of
Vaughan roads. This policy sets out criteria for four primary zones:
• Rural Roads;
• Built up/Urban areas, inclusive of School Zones;
• Public Laneways; and
• Neighbourhood Areas of 40km/h speed limit.

PURPOSE
This policy provides a consistent process, for establishing speed limits on all City of
Vaughan roadways, above and beyond the statutory speed limits (80km/h and 50
km/h) as set out in section 128 of the Highway Traffic Act (HTA).

SCOPE
This policy will be applicable to all internal City departments and external agencies
required by the City to establish speed limits for roadways within the City of Vaughan.

In accordance with the HTA, a municipal by-law is required, in addition to the posting
of appropriate speed limit signs, before these revised speed limits can be enforced.

LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS
Section 128(1) of the HTA regulates the rate of speed on all roadways within the
Province of Ontario. For roadways under the authority of a municipality, the upper
threshold is 80km/h. All rural roadways will have an unsigned speed limit of 80 km/h.
The HTA also sets a default municipal speed limit of 50km/h on roadways within
POLICY TITLE: ESTABLISHING SPEED LIMITS ON CITY ROADWAYS

POLICY NO.: Policy number assigned by Policy Coordinator.

cities, towns or built-up areas. Section 128(2) enables the Council of a municipality to
establish a posted speed limit different than prescribed in s. 128(1).

The HTA was amended by the Safer School Zones Act, 2017. The HTA now allows
municipalities to designate areas by by-law where speed limits are lower than 50
km/h. Section 5.1.1 (1) of Regulation 615 (Signs) under the HTA permits the
installation of speed control signage designating the commencement of an area with a
set speed for the area that has been prescribed.

In accordance with the HTA, a municipal by-law is required, in addition to the posting
of appropriate speed limit signs, before a posted speed limit can be enforced.

DEFINITIONS
1. Roadway Width: The width of road measured from curb face to curb face.

2. Rural Roads: All roadways within the City of Vaughan that do not conform to the
definition of a built-up area/urban street.

3. Built-up Area/Urban Areas: As defined within section 1(1) of the HTA, where the
roadways frontage is 50% occupied by buildings and/or as identified within the
City of Vaughan Official Plan Section 2.2.1.3 and Schedule 1 and 1a.

4. Public Laneway: A public vehicular-access route exclusively at the side and/or

rear of one or more properties, whether such access route is privately or
municipally owned; however, this does not include private property not intended
for such public access.

5. Minor Collector Roads: As defined within the City’s Official Plan Amendment 600
(OPA 600) as having a minimum right-of-way width of 23 metres with two lanes of
traffic and are intended to provide the communities with the main connecting
points to the arterial system.

6. Major Collector Roads: As defined within the City’s Official Plan Amendment 600
(OPA 600) as having a minimum right-of-way width of 26 metres with four lanes of
traffic and are intended to provide the communities with the main connecting
points to the arterial system.

7. Local Roads: As defined within the City’s Official Plan Amendment 600 (OPA
600) as a roadway having a right-of-way width of 17.5 metres and are intended to
accommodate two traffic lanes, one parking lane and driveway access to the
residential properties.

8. School Zone: The section of roadway that is contiguous to a school either public
or private typically with a minimum of 200 registered students.

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POLICY TITLE: ESTABLISHING SPEED LIMITS ON CITY ROADWAYS

POLICY NO.: Policy number assigned by Policy Coordinator.

9. Operating Speed/85th Percentile Speed: the speed at or below which 85 percent

of vehicles travel under free-flowing conditions.

10. Neighbourhood Area: A designated area where by-lawed speed limits can be
imposed lower than 50km/h within a bounded area using specialized speed limit
signage in accordance with the HTA and Ontario Traffic Manual.
POLICY
1. Rural Road application:

1.1. The statutory speed limit of 80 km/h on rural roads as prescribed within the
HTA remains unchanged until such time that there has been significant
redevelopment of the adjacent land use.

1.2. All rural roads to be assessed in accordance with the Transportation

Association of Canada (TAC) - Canadian Guide for Establishing Posted Speed
Limits (2009).

1.3. Speed limits on rural roadways are to be undertaken in conjunction with

new/future Block Development, or on a case-by-case basis as required.

2. Built-up area/Urban area application:

2.1. The statutory speed limit of 50km/h on all urban roads as prescribed by the
HTA. The application of this policy will provide the ability to assess all urban
roads for a reduced posted speed of 40 km/h.

2.2. A 40 km/h maximum speed limit will be implemented on any built-up/urban

road where Criteria “A” and “B”, set out below, are met. In the case of Criteria
A, the block length or speed control area being considered must be greater
than 150 metres in length or part of a neighbourhood review or based on
engineering considerations.

2.3. Speed limits in Built-up/Urban area are reviewed on a case-by-case basis as

required and subject to this Policy/criteria.

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POLICY TITLE: ESTABLISHING SPEED LIMITS ON CITY ROADWAYS

POLICY NO.: Policy number assigned by Policy Coordinator.

Built-up area/Urban area application (Continued):

CRITERIA “A” – ROADWAY ENVIRONMENT

Is the roadway or section thereof, being considered greater than
Yes / No
150 metres in length?
AND
If the pavement width is greater than or equal to 10.5 metres, the
operating speed (85th percentile) must be equal to or less than 50 Yes / No
km/h.
OR
If the pavement width is greater than or equal to 10.5 metres and
edge lines or bicycle lanes exist reducing the vehicle travel lanes to
Yes / No
less than or equal to 8.0 metres the operating speed is not
applicable.
OR
If the pavement width is less than10.5 metres the operating speed
Yes / No
is not applicable.
AND
CRITERIA “B” – PEDESTRIAN / CYCLING ENVIRONMENT
Is on-street parking permitted on both sides of the roadway,
Yes / No
restricting on-street cycling? (painted shoulder lane/bicycle lane)
OR
Is the roadway less than or equal to 8.0 metres in width and on-
Yes / No
street parking is restricting the flow of traffic?
OR
Are there no sidewalks on either side of the roadway Yes / No
OR
Is the roadway unimproved (no curb/sidewalk) and the traveled
Yes / No
portion is less than 7.0 metres (excluding shoulder)?

OVERALL CRITERIA RESULTS

Criteria “A” and “B” must be satisfied Yes /No

3. School Zone application:

3.1. A 40 km/h maximum speed limit shall be implemented in school areas in

accordance with the following:

3.1.1. Where there is a public/private school, typically with a minimum of 200

students registered, a 40 km/h maximum speed limit zone will be
implemented and must extend no less than 150 metres beyond the
boundary of school property.

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POLICY TITLE: ESTABLISHING SPEED LIMITS ON CITY ROADWAYS

POLICY NO.: Policy number assigned by Policy Coordinator.

3.1.2. Where there is a park contiguous to the school boundary limits, the
parkland will be considered as part of the 40 km/h maximum speed
control zone and shall extend no less than 150 metres beyond the
parkland.

3.1.3. Where there is a roadway that is not directly adjacent to the school but
provides direct access to a school via a walkway the 40 km/h maximum
speed control zone will be considered, and must extend no less than
150 metres beyond the limits of the walkway.

3.1.4. All school zones within the City of Vaughan, will be signed in
accordance with the HTA and the Ontario Traffic Control Manual.

4. Public Laneways application:

4.1 A 30 km/h maximum speed limit shall be implemented on all public

laneways.

4.2 All public laneways shall be signed in accordance with the HTA and
Ontario Traffic Control Manual.

5. Neighbourhood Areas of 40km/h speed limit application:

The use of the “Neighbourhood Areas of 40km/h speed limit” will be subject to the
following criteria:

5.1. A Neighbourhood Area will be considered for a 40km/h speed limit where at
least 50% of roads meet the criteria of built-up/urban areas (section 2) or
school zones (section 3).

5.2. Roadways that will be considered:

5.2.1 All local roads in urban areas as defined.

5.2.2 Collector roads in urban areas as defined subject to the following:

a) Collector roads, if currently posted at 40 km/h; and

b) Collector roads, if currently not posted 40km/h will be assessed
based on the operating speed (85th percentile) along the road which
shall not be greater than 10 km/h over the recommended 40km/h
speed limit.

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POLICY TITLE: ESTABLISHING SPEED LIMITS ON CITY ROADWAYS

POLICY NO.: Policy number assigned by Policy Coordinator.

5.3 Signage/ markings for “Neighbourhood Areas of 40km/h speed limit” will not be
applicable on arterial roads or Major Collector Roads unless currently posted
at 40 km/h.

5.4 “Signage/ markings for “Neighbourhood Areas of 40km/h speed limit” will not
be applicable on any road with a single point of entry from or exit to any
another road. The road must provide access to another local road.

5.5 Speed limits for “Neighbourhood Areas of 40km/h speed limit” will be reviewed
in future subdivisions/block development or on a case-by-case basis, as
required.

6. Increasing the Posted Speed Limit:

6.1. All requests for an increase of the existing posted speed limit will be assessed
based on the following:

6.1.1. The contents of this policy and criteria;

6.1.2. The TAC -Canadian Guidelines for Establishing Posted Speed Limits;
6.1.3. The City of Vaughan’s Development Engineering Design Standards and
Guidelines and/or engineering consideration.

ADMINISTRATION
Administered by the Office of the City Clerk.
Review 5 Years Next Review
If other, specify here Date: July 1, 2026
Schedule:
Related
XX.X.XX
Policy(ies):
Related
By-law 284-94 as amended, Schedule E
By-Law(s):
Procedural
Document:
Revision History
Date: Description:
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enter a date.

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