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City council is expected to sign off Friday on a plan to lower speed limits within the boundaries of all neighbourhoods in Hamilton to 40 kilometres per hour over the next three years.

READ MORE: City council approves controversial Vision Zero improvements on Aberdeen Avenue

The 40 km/hr limit will apply to “minor” and “collector” roadways within neighbourhoods and the speed reduction program will also reduce limits to 30 kilometres an hour in the vicinity of schools.

Edward Soldo, Hamilton’s director of transportation operations, says signage will go up in 45 neighbourhoods this year.

READ MORE: New speeding education campaign aims to make Hamilton roads safer

Speaking to the public works committee, which gave initial approval Wednesday morning, Soldo adds that the entire project, at a cost of $2.5 million, will be completed over three years.

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LISTEN: Bill Kelly talks with Downtown area Councillor Jason Farr about dropping the speed limit on residential streets to 40 km/h

The lower speed limits will not apply to any higher-capacity “arterial” roads or to a section of the city’s north end where a 30 km/hr speed limit pilot program is being conducted.

READ MORE: Hamilton council urged to focus on Vision Zero as it reviews truck routes

Until now, changes to speed limits within neighbourhoods have been made on a street-by-street basis, but Bill 65 — the province’s safer school zones act — now allows municipalities to set speed limits within a “designated area.”

The City of Hamilton says it receives about 700 complaints each year about speeding and aggressive driving on residential streets.

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