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Speed Limits

Kamloops council to consider 30 km/h speed limits on all local streets

Jun 18, 2025 | 4:07 PM

KAMLOOPS — City of Kamloops staff will explore the possibility of lowering the speed limit to 30 km/h on all local streets.

The resolution came out of a meeting of council’s Livability and Sustainability Select Committee Wednesday (June 18).

Committee chair Stephen Karpuk argued the move would help prioritize the safety of children.

“Are we prioritizing the movement of people over the movement of traffic?” asked Karpuk. “Do we want people to be out in the middle of their street playing with their kids or do we want to worry about a road rat who’s trying to cut around to avoid a backup at a light and move over to go somewhere, and they can bomb along at 60-to-70 km/h when a street has got kids walking to school with no sidewalks?”

Any reduction would not include larger arterial or collector roads.

Karpuk reasoned communities including Sun Peaks, Sun Rivers, 100 Mile House, Vancouver, Duncan, Saanich and Victoria have already enacted similar blanket speed reductions.

In supporting Karpuk’s idea, Councillor Nancy Bepple noted the prospect of pedestrian fatalities when struck by vehicles travelling at 30 km/h versus 50 km/h is greatly reduced.

Staff will explore the issue before bringing a recommendation forward to the whole of council.