The provincial government is looking into the reduction of speed limits in Toronto and other cities across Ontario in a bid to improve safety for pedestrians and cylists. The default speed limit in Toronto and other municipalities is 50kph, but there's been pressure to lower this number for years. A 2010 report from the Chief Coroner requested that municipalities have the option to reduce the default speed limit to 40kph, which allows a car to stop roughly five metres quicker than one traveling 10 kilometres faster (8 metres vs. 13).

A number of options are being weighed by the province, one of which is mandating a 10kph reduction in the default speed limit to 40kph. Giving the municipality the right to choose between 40kph and 50kph as the standard limit on its streets is also a possibility, and one that I suspect would be more popular.

Any decision is still a long way off, but it's sure to be a talking point as consultations take place. As much as other factors like on-street parking and the number vehicles on the road factor into travel times, the topic of speed limits often incites intense debate. What do you think? Is 50kph too fast in densely populated areas?

Photo by Paul on Flickr