General Road and Highway Discussion

[MidTowner]

You're right that Glasgow probably should have been an arterial, and allowing it to be developed residentially was probably a mistake. Westmount Public School means that typical arterial speeds can not be allowed on that stretch.

If we're just talking about Westmount to Fischer-Hallman, then, I'm not sure how much sense it would make to impose higher-than-necessary speed limits on all residential streets to preserve those speeds on one stretch of street less than two kilometres in length.

That would be absurd, and I did not and would never suggest that. Whether the best fix is to have a specific speed limit on that road segment or to re-classify it properly I cannot say.

I agree that setting a lower limit on actual local residential streets is a very reasonable thing to do. But not if it means that misclassified streets get caught up in a general rule that people then insist on applying everywhere, even where plainly inappropriate.

When I read your comment "As long as Glasgow St. counts as an arterial, with a limit of 50 or 60km/h, I’m OK with [reducing speed limits on residential streets] in general principal," I read it as you saying that. Sorry about that.

I think you have a case for Glasgow Street in particular, but I would say that there are probably many streets in the city that feel like actual local residential streets to the people living on them, but misclassified collectors or arterials on the people now enjoying driving 50+km/h down them.

One thing I can say: Glasgow Street residents are obviously particularly connected politically. I don't think there would be realistic hope of designating it an arterial to exempt it from new residential-only speed limits.