The Town of Diamond Valley will be changing some of the speed limits in town.
Back in 2016, Turner Valley had already lowered their speed limit from 50 km/hr to 40 km/hr, but the speed limit in Black Diamond remained at 50 km/hr, even after the two towns amalgamated in 2023.
During the July 17th Council Meeting, the Town approved changes to its Traffic Bylaw and now the entirety of Diamond Valley will have a 40 km/hr speed limit, unless otherwise posted.
According to a study that was conducted after Edmonton lowered their speed limits from 50 km/hr to 40 km/hr in 2021and it found that the lower speed limit reduced the number of collisions by 25 per cent and the number of injuries and fatalities resulting from collisions dropped by 31 per cent.
"These updates are all about making Diamond Valley safer and more enjoyable for everyone. Lowering the speed limit to 40 km/h across the board will help prevent accidents and injuries. We’re also cleaning up and aligning the other traffic rules to keep things running smoothly all across the community," explained Diamond Valley Mayor Barry Crane in a media release from August 6th.
Currently, Diamond Valley Municipal Enforcement employs two Peace Officers and one Bylaw Enforcement Officer, with the Community Peace Officers being authorized by Provincial law to conduct traffic enforcement in the Diamond Valley area.
While the Town does have it's own peace officers, they have responsibilities that go beyond traffic enforcement, so the Town is asking for people to report their traffic concerns to the Diamond Valley RCMP instead.
Both the Municipal Enforcement and the RCMP will help make people safe in town.
Provincial highways and playground zones in Diamond Valley will remain unaffected.
The new, lower speed limit will take effect on September 1st, once all the new signs have been installed, and residents are encouraged to adjust their driving habits to suit the change.
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