The City of Penticton is reminding drivers to watch for changes to the speed limit around schools and playgrounds ahead of the return to school.
The City is working closely with Penticton RCMP, Bylaw Services and School District 67 on the following initiatives to keep our children safe. Speed limit changes
As announced earlier this year, the City is changing the speed limits within all school and playground zones to a blanket 30 km/h at all times – 24 hours a day, seven days a week. New traffic signs are now being installed on a rolling basis throughout the community, with all due to be in place within a couple of weeks.
With school resuming Sept. 3, RCMP will be out enforcing school zone speeds, and City Bylaw officers will be enforcing parking and no-stopping zones.
The blanket 30 km/h zones around schools and playgrounds reflect the fact that school facilities are key community amenities that are often used outside regular school hours, including evenings and weekends. The changes also enable City staff to add traffic calming measures, such as speed humps, which previously wouldn’t have been suitable due to a need to allow for higher speed in the off-hours.
The changes are in response to the City’s ‘Safe Routes to School’ studies, community safety concerns and resident feedback gathered through the Transportation Master Plan engagement process.
Extra traffic around high schools
Starting on Sept. 3, Grade 8 students will transition to Penticton High or Princess Margaret schools as part of the School District’s long-range facilities plan.
This is anticipated to cause extra traffic congestion during drop-off and pickup times. Allow extra travel time, slow down around school zones and consider options such as a ‘Drive to Five,’ which involves parking five minutes away and allowing your child to walk the remaining steps to school, encouraging active transportation and independency.
‘Safe Routes to School’ studies
The City will be introducing new initiatives as a result of the recent ‘Safe Routes to School’ studies. This includes adding ‘Kiss & Go’ zones at certain schools, which is a designated drop-off area that keeps the flow of vehicles moving, as well as encouraging active transportation concepts such as a ‘Drive to Five’ or walking/riding school bus. More details about these initiatives can be found at penticton.ca/safe-routes.
The Safe Routes to School program involves working in collaboration with the school community to identify ways to make active travel safer and easier. This year, the City will conduct studies at Columbia Elementary as well as with the future Skaha Elementary school.
The City will issue more back-to-school reminders in the coming weeks.