Select Ontario highways to pilot 110 km/h speed limits starting this week
Earlier this summer, the Ford government said it would be moving forward with exploring raising speed limits on select provincial highways.
And on Tuesday morning, Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation, announced that starting on September 26, the changes will officially be implemented.
On Thursday, the highway speed limit will change from 100 km/h to 110 km/h along three sections of highways in Southern Ontario:
- Highway 402 from London to Sarnia (90 km);
- Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) from St. Catharines/Lincoln to Hamilton (32 km); and
- Highway 417 from Ottawa/Gloucester to Ontario/Quebec border (102 km).
“Our government puts people first in every decision we make,” said Mulroney. “That’s why we want to hear first-hand from those who rely on our roads about how we can safely modernize our highways to better fit the needs of the people.”
The Ontario government said it is also launching online consultations to obtain the public’s feedback on the speed limit pilots.
The information will help inform decisions related to increased speed limits and will be considered in the final decision-making process. Ontarians can share their feedback by completing an online survey before November 23, 2019.
Earlier this summer, the PC government also said it will be adding extra safety measures, including increased signage and messaging, to ensure motorists are aware of where speed limits are changing.
Additionally, the provincial government said it is proposing amendments that keep the street-racing penalties at 150 km/h.
This means in the speed limit pilot zones, the street-racing penalties will apply at 40 km/h over the posted speed limit, not the usual 50 km/h over.
Currently, there are six other provinces in Canada that have posted speed limits of 110 km/h or higher on certain highways.
Follow Channels and Categories