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Edmonton has officially dropped what advocates call a nearly impossible requirement for neighbourhood speed limit campaigns.

For years, it seemed Edmonton’s speed reduction program was written specifically to discourage applications. It required a 100-per-cent response rate to a survey asking neighbourhood residents if they would vote Yes or No to a 40 km/h speed limit.

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In the future, the response requirement will only be 30 per cent, with two-thirds in support of the change, according to a private memo to council from transportation operations branch manager Gord Cebryk.

The 100-per-cent response rate — which theoretically includes landlords living out of town or even out of the country — “was very difficult to achieve,” said Cebryk. He was unavailable for further comment Monday.

“It looked to us like it was intentionally difficult,” said Allan Bolstad, former executive director of the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues.