Toronto’s board of health has backed away from trying to lower speed limits city-wide, but its chair is unhappy with Mayor Rob Ford and his brother for taking personal shots at the city official who recommended the change.

The board voted unanimously Monday to consider the idea of pilot projects to reduce speed limits only in neighbourhoods that clearly want it. City council or a community council would have final say.

The board endorsed other moves in a report by Dr. David McKeown, the city’s medical officer of health, aimed at increasing Torontonians’ health by boosting the number of pedestrians and cyclists, and making streets safer for them.

McKeown originally advocated a city-wide reduction of limits to 30 km/h on residential streets and 40 km/h on all other streets.

The idea was met with a fierce backlash in gridlock-weary Toronto, led by Ford who last Friday branded the proposal “nuts, nuts, nuts.”

The mayor, a champion of car travel, went further on his Sunday Newstalk 1010 radio show, calling McKeown’s $290,000 salary “an embarrassment,” and promising to “look into it.” His brother, Councillor Doug Ford, calling in from Florida, asked: “Why does (McKeown) still have a job?”

Health board chair Councillor John Filion said he plans to look at a transcript of the radio show and consult with the board about what “appropriate action” they might take.

“It’s highly inappropriate to publicly criticize staff, in particular the medical officer of health who is by legislation independent, for giving his best recommendations as far is what is good for the health of the residents of the city,” Filion told reporters after the vote.

McKeown himself called the board’s move to limit talk of speed limit reductions to only receptive neighbourhoods “a good way forward,” and declined to directly address the comments about him.

“I’m concerned about what’s going to have an impact on the health of the population, that’s where my focus is,” McKeown said.