Huntsville to reduce speed limit to 20km per hour on Yonge Street North

The move will save $700K on crossing upgrades

Huntsville Council agreed to reduce the speed limit on Yonge Street North, in the July 28, 2025, meeting.

The Town will be reducing the speed from 50km/h to 20km/hr.

Staff indicated that the decision comes from discussions with CN Rail during the design phase of the Town’s plans to do a full re-construction on this street this year. Due to the re-construction activity CN requires upgrades to the crossing at a cost of $700,000.

According to the staff report, “Any work within the proximity of the crossing would trigger the requirement to upgrade the railway infrastructure,” at the full cost to the Town.

Staff explained that the crossing would only require the upgrades under the current speed limit.

Operations Manager, Brandon Hall, said “Based on the speed limit we will have to replace the tracks,” which is why staff recommended reducing the speed limit instead.

He added, “CN has no interest in partnering with the municipality.” 20km/hr “avoids upgrades.”

The report added, “Reducing the speed limit would improve compliance with the sightline and safety requirements as outlined by CN and Transport Canada. It would also maintain alignment with the intended function of the street – serving as a slower, pedestrian-friendly corridor with enhanced accessibility, consistent with the Town’s urban design goals and waterfront enhancement initiatives.”

It continues that the speed limit reduction changes the classification “as non-compliant under the higher speed threshold” and avoids the CN upgrade cost.

Councillor, Helena Renwick, inquired about whether CN can change their mind regarding crossing there.

Staff advised that the municipality provides data sharing with Transport Canada (TC), and that the speed limit will determine the type of crossing that needs to be there. They said they’ve already had discussions with TC “and we’re pretty confident we won’t have to do any upgrades.”

Councillor, Cory Clarke, expressed appreciation for the “good job” of staff. He referred to their solution as, “a good solution that is cost effective and saving us some money.”

Staff have been directed to present a final amendment to the by-law as a next step.

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