A proposed speed limit reduction on a busy stretch of 13th Street East that leads to Walmart, is moving ahead after a traffic review showed the road already functions more like a 40 km/h street.
The Prince Albert Executive Committee voted unanimously Monday to support lowering the speed limit on 13th Street East between First Avenue East and Sixth Avenue East from 50 km/h to 40 km/h.
The change would require council to adopt Bylaw No. 15 of 2026, an amendment to the city’s Traffic Bylaw.
The report came back after council ordered a review in January, following a notice of motion from Coun. Tony Head. At the time, councillors cited resident concerns about vehicle speeds, collisions, and close calls along 13th Street East, which includes residential homes, nearby businesses, and heavier traffic from the surrounding area.
Evan Hastings, the city’s capital projects manager, told committee the street is classified as a collector roadway. He said collector roads are meant to move traffic from local roads toward larger arterial streets, but 13th Street East has several features that make it operate differently than a higher-speed route.
Hastings said the street has homes on the north side, commercial properties on the south side, and a large amount of on-street parking. He said drivers using the street often slow down because of parked vehicles, business access, and people opening car doors.
“It doesn’t act necessarily as a 50 km per hour street,” Hastings told committee. “It acts much slower than that.”
Traffic data collected by administration showed average speeds on the stretch were between 37 and 40 km/h. Hastings said only seven percent of vehicles were travelling at 50 km/h or higher.
He said that supports treating the street as a 40 km/h corridor.
“What that tells me is residents don’t feel safe travelling at 50,” Hastings said.
Coun. Head said the report reflected what he has heard from residents in the area. He said residents do not feel safe on the road and have raised concerns about collisions in recent years.
“I’m really happy that this came forward, this report,” Head said.
Coun. Darren Solomon questioned whether the speed reduction was needed if most drivers are already travelling around 37 to 40 km/h. Solomon said he owns property on the street and has spent time there over the years, but has not seen the same level of speeding concern.
“What safety problem are we trying to solve by putting the speed limit at the same rate the traffic’s already flowing?” Solomon asked.
Hastings said the change is not aimed at most drivers, but at those travelling well above the speed that feels safe for the street.
“Reducing to 40, it makes people a lot less comfortable travelling those speeds, like 55, 60,” Hastings said. “That’s where you have a higher risk of collisions and injury.”
Coun. Stephen Ring supported the reduction and said he sees speeding on that road every day.
“I do see excessive speed on that road every day,” Ring said, adding that he travels the route morning and night.
Ring also noted that school buses regularly stop along the route.
Mayor Bill Powalinsky asked whether the collisions listed in the report were connected to speed, inattentive driving or other causes. Hastings said administration reviewed the collision history and found many were rear-end collisions, with some sideswipe collisions and a few right-angle collisions at intersections.
Solomon also asked whether ambulance traffic may affect the speed data, because the Parkland Ambulance dispatch building is on 13th Street East. Hastings said the traffic counters used for the study can track speed, volume, and axle count. He said any ambulance impact would be small enough to be negligible in the overall results.
Deputy Mayor Bryce Lawetz asked how long the traffic study was conducted. Hastings said road tubes were placed for a standard one-week period and that older traffic data from the area showed similar results.
Coun. Blake Edwards also supported the reduction, pointing to the mix of homes, businesses and children in the area.
“The bowling alley is on that road, which is full of kids,” Edwards said. “There’s another dance studio that’s full of kids. There’s no reason for this street to be 50 at all.”
Laewetz said he understood Solomon’s concern that most drivers were already travelling near 40 km/h, but said lowering the limit could help keep the fastest drivers closer to 50 instead of 60.
He said the inconvenience to drivers would likely be small.
The recommendation was approved unanimously by Executive Committee, sending the proposed speed limit change forward through the bylaw process.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
