Streets in the Chautauqua neighbourhood of Niagara-on-the-Lake are getting new, reduced speed limits as part of a year-long pilot project.

Here’s how what you need to know.

The roads affected by the speed reduction include Addison Avenue, Circle Street, Dixie Avenue, Froebel Avenue, Luther Avenue, Niagara Boulevard from Palatine Place to Vincent Avenue, Oak Drive, Palatine Place from Circle Street to the dead-end, Shakespeare Avenue, Vincent Avenue, Wesley Avenue, Wilberforce Avenue and Wyckliffe Avenue.

The speeds on these roads will be cut to 30 km/h from 50 km/h. William Street is excluded from the plan.

Town staff will be collecting traffic data, with speed minders placed throughout the neighbourhood, and the information will be compared to data from 2023.

“Staff will present their findings to council, who will then decide whether the speed reductions will be made permanent after the conclusion of the one-year trial,” said spokesperson Marah Minor.

She could not confirm when signs with the new speeds would be posted or how much it would cost.

She estimated staff would have the new signs priced by the end of January.

The decision was made at a council meeting Jan. 16 after a three-year lobbying campaign by residents argued there was a need for lower speed limits on the narrow streets of the lakeside neighbourhood.

There are no sidewalks or wide shoulders in the area, putting pedestrians, especially seniors and children, at risk, residents said.

Coun. Erwin Wiens raised concerns that investing resources to reduce speeds in Chautauqua would come at the cost of similar efforts needed in rural areas of Niagara-on-the-Lake, where there have been fatalities.

Minor said with limited resources, any such task could potentially reduce the amount of time town employees could dedicate to other projects.

“Staff remain committed to focusing on efforts that improve road safety,” she said.