A topical view of a person in a crosswalk during rainfall

Find out how Surrey is slowing down drivers on local roads.

Slower Speeds Save Lives

Travel speeds are the main factor in how serious a crash will be and whether a crash occurs at all. The faster we travel, the less time we have to react to the unexpected. The risk of death and injury increases significantly as travel speeds increase. Research has shown that a pedestrian struck at 30 km/h has a 90% chance of surviving, while at 50 km/h they have only a 15% chance.

Lowering speeds has many benefits:

  • Less severe collisions 
  • Lower greenhouse gas emissions
  • Reduced vehicle noise
  • Increased feelings of safety

On June 17, 2021, the City of Surrey launched the Surrey Slow Streets: Residential Speed Limit Reduction Pilot on local roads in six residential neighbourhoods in Surrey. Speed limits are now reduced to 30 km/h in three select neighbourhoods and 40 km/h in three others.

Project Purpose

The purpose of the Surrey Slow Streets pilot project is to study how lower speed limits affect driver behaviour, and ultimately the safety on our roads. We will also compare the impacts that 30 km/h verses 40 km/h speed limits have in neighbourhoods. Following the lowering of speed limits in the pilot project areas, we will monitor vehicle speeds, crashes and perceptions of safety among residents.

Reduce Speed Limits and Location

Reduced speed limits will apply to neighbourhoods in the pilot areas. Major roadways adjacent to the zones will keep their existing speed limits.

View Map as PDF

Pilot Zone Locations with Reduced Speed Limits to 30KM

  • Blue Zone
    The area between 96 & 100 Ave including 100 Avenue from 123A St to 127A St, and between 128 Street to just west of 123A St. 
    View Blue Zone Map

  • Orange Zone
    The area between 104 Ave and 108 Ave, and between 128 St and 132 St
    View Orange Zone Map
     
  • Red Zone
    Approximately the area between Rosemary Heights Crescent and 40 Ave, and between just west of 153 St/152B St and just east of 156B St
    View Red Zone Map

Pilot Zone Locations with Reduced Speed Limits to 40KM

  • Yellow Zone
    The area between 56 Ave (Hwy 10) and 60 Ave, and between 180 St and 184 St
    View Yellow Zone Map
  • Purple Zone
    The area between 100 Ave and 104 Ave, and between 140 St and 144 St
    View Purple Zone Map
  • Green Zone
    The area between 75 Ave and 80 Ave, and between 120A St and 124 St
    View Green Zone Map
Slow Streets Zone Map

Using a data-driven approach, neighbourhoods were selected based on demographics, speeding issues, safety issues, community amenities and equity, to ensure all road users are safe on Surrey roads.

 

This Zone Selection Criteria Scoring pie graph outlines 5 criteria each at 20%: Equity Need, Demographics, Speeding Issues, Safety Issues, and Community Amenities

 

Project Timeline

  • Completed
  • Started
  • Pending
November 2020 – March 2021

Planning

April – May 2021

Implementation

  • Baseline Data Collection - May 18 to June 3​
  • Signage Installation - May 24 to June 18
June 2021

Slow Streets Launch

June 2021 - June 2022

Monitoring

Winter 2022

Evaluation

Design the Sign Winners

As part of the Surrey Slow Streets pilot, the Streets Neighbourhood - Design the Sign contest was held in March of this year. It was a fun spring break activity open to children 5-18 and their families who live and work in Surrey.

Close to 50 designs were submitted from children and youth across our City. After three rounds of judging, six designs were chosen and have been made into street signs that are now in our six Slow Streets Neighbourhoods.  

Congratulations to our winners and thank you too all those that submitted designs! 

Contest Winners and their Sign Designs

About the Pilot

Reducing speeds in these neighbourhoods for a specific timeframe will help us understand how reduced speed limits impact neighbourhoods. The pilot will run until December 2022.

Municipalities across Canada are reducing residential speed limits in their community to 30km/h and 40km/h, respectively. Surrey’s pilot is unique in that it will test both speed limits to see which works best for our Surrey community.

We are conducting this pilot project in response to residents’ concerns about safety on Surrey roads and in their neighbourhoods. This is a starting point to determine the differences that lower speed limits can make on our roads, taking into consideration Surrey’s unique characteristics and needs.

For more information about the pilot, see the December 2020 Corporate Report.

Connection to Vision Zero Surrey

Managing speeds is an important part of the Vision Zero Surrey Safe Mobility Plan. Vision Zero Surrey is based on the Safe Systems Approach which focuses on speed within its Safe Speeds pillar. The Surrey Slow Streets speed limit reduction pilot project is a key step that directly supports Safe Speeds and works to save lives on Surrey roads.

Contact

If you have specific questions about the Surrey Slow Streets pilot project, please email visionzero@surrey.ca.