06/01/2026
The Ontario Traffic Council (OTC) is inviting municipalities and organizations across Ontario to participate as funding partners in a new province-wide research initiative focused on traffic calming and speed management solutions, particularly within school zones and community safety zones. Municipalities contributing $5,000 or more will be invited to participate on the project steering committee and work collaboratively with the selected consultant(s) and researcher(s) throughout the project lifecycle. Please email [email protected] to contribute to this exciting project
The OTC Research and Innovation Committee is advancing an initiative to develop an Ontario-wide evidence-based research and best practices framework to support future infrastructure investments, policy development, grant applications and long-term speed management strategies. Municipalities do not need existing research, datasets or completed projects to participate. The OTC anticipates issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) within the next three months.
For more information on the project, please see below.
Municipalities across Ontario continue to identify speeding and aggressive driving as significant and growing road safety concerns, particularly in areas involving vulnerable road users, including children, pedestrians, cyclists, persons with disabilities and older adults. The recent loss of Ontario’s Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) program has further accelerated the need for municipalities to identify and implement effective engineering, infrastructure and design-based approaches to speed reduction and traffic calming.
At the same time, the Province’s recently introduced Road Safety Infrastructure Fund (RSIF) highlights the increasing importance of speed management initiatives; however, eligibility is currently limited to municipalities that previously operated ASE programs, despite the fact that speeding concerns exist in communities of all sizes across Ontario. In addition, the time-limited nature of the RSIF may unintentionally prioritize quick implementation measures over longer-term infrastructure improvements and more sustainable engineering solutions.
Many municipalities have already undertaken valuable work involving various traffic calming installations, roadway design changes, signage, pavement markings, gateway treatments, lane reductions, vertical deflection measures and other speed management tools intended to reduce operating speeds and improve safety outcomes. While this information is highly valuable locally, there is currently no consolidated provincial dataset or evidence framework that evaluates which measures are most effective within different roadway environments, land uses, traffic conditions, and community contexts and by how much they reduce vehicle speeds and improve safety outcomes.
This initiative is intended to fill that gap. The project will compile and analyze municipal data, existing studies, operational experience and practitioner knowledge into a comprehensive Ontario-wide research dataset and best practices framework intended to support:
Evidence-based decision-making
Future infrastructure investments
Provincial and municipal policy development
Grant and funding applications
School and community safety zone planning
Long-term speed management strategies
The OTC anticipates issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) within the next three months to engage consultants, researchers and subject matter experts to support the development of this work.
Funding contributions will support:
Research coordination
Data collection and analysis
Consultant and researcher engagement
Technical review
Reporting and knowledge-sharing activities
Development of provincial best practices and recommendations
In accordance with OTC policy, a 15% administrative and project management fee will be applied to the total project cost. This fee supports project oversight, staff coordination, financial management, reporting and general administration and will be clearly identified within all project budgets and agreements.
All project funds will be managed in accordance with OTC financial policies and standard accounting practices. Any surplus funds remaining following project completion and fulfillment of all obligations will be retained by the OTC and allocated toward future research initiatives, policy development and advocacy activities aligned with the OTC’s mission, subject to Board approval.
The OTC believes this initiative represents an important opportunity for municipalities to collaboratively advance evidence-based speed management practices, strengthen school and community safety and help shape future provincial road safety policy and infrastructure investment priorities across Ontario.
I welcome the opportunity to discuss participation and partnership opportunities further.
Regards,
Geoff Wilkinson, CAE
Executive Director
Ontario Traffic Council
905 449 5762
