Burnaby expanding school zone hours to 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

BURNABY (NEWS 1130) – It will soon be against the law to drive faster than 30km/h in Burnaby school zones well into the evening.

The City is expanding the hours school zone speed limits are in effect by six hours. They will be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays when school is in session.

The current hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

About 600 signs will be replaced this month to reflect the expanded hours.

According to the City, reducing speeds to 30km/h “dramatically enhances safety by reducing the likelihood and severity of a crash.”

In the coming weeks, you can expect Mounties to educate and give warnings to drivers who may not yet be aware of the expanded hours. But starting next month, officers will start issuing tickets.

Crews will also start installing speed humps near more than 70 schools and parks. That work is expected to get underway later this year, with the City planning to have about 200 in place by 2026.

Related article: Speed limit in Vancouver school, playground zones 30 km/h around the clock

The City says this move is “intended to better reflect when students are likely to be near schools for extracurricular activities and speed humps are a proven tool to reduce traffic speeds.”

The chair of the Burnaby Board of Education is backing the changes, saying they will make roads safer where kids learn and play.

“It also recognizes that schools are the heart of a community, and our buildings and grounds are used earlier in the morning and into the evening for classes and activities,” Jen Mezei said.

Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley says it’s about protecting kids.

“As Burnaby moves to make streets safer for students and families, we also encourage the Provincial government to consider a B.C.-wide approach to traffic calming measures around parks and school zones,” Hurley said.