Edmonton has officially dropped what advocates call a nearly impossible requirement for neighbourhood speed limit campaigns.

For years, it seemed Edmonton’s speed reduction program was written specifically to discourage applications. It required a 100-per-cent response rate to a survey asking neighbourhood residents if they would vote Yes or No to a 40 km/h speed limit.

In the future, the response requirement will only be 30 per cent, with two-thirds in support of the change, according to a private memo to council from transportation operations branch manager Gord Cebryk.

The 100-per-cent response rate — which theoretically includes landlords living out of town or even out of the country — “was very difficult to achieve,” said Cebryk. He was unavailable for further comment Monday.

“It looked to us like it was intentionally difficult,” said Allan Bolstad, former executive director of the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues.

The federation has been lobbying for a lower residential speed limit across the city since a 2010 city pilot project in six neighbourhoods proved popular. In five neighbourhoods, the majority of residents surveyed by city staff wanted to keep it, but only three met the two-thirds support requirement set by administration, Bolstad said.

Since then, no one has been able to meet the city’s 100-per-cent response rate for community support, though 45 communities expressed interest and nine meet the city’s internal criteria for traffic and speeding numbers, according to an email sent from transportation officials to Coun. Mike Nickel’s office.

Those nine neighbourhoods are Aspen Gardens, Bonnie Doon, Forest Heights, Holyrood, Laurier Heights, Queen Mary Park, Strathcona, Prince Charles and Hazeldean.

The change is a relief for Troy Pavlek, president of the Hazeldean Community League. He didn’t know he was fighting a near-impossible battle. He’s been door-knocking for months, trying to get signatures while running into dead ends asking city officials how many he actually needed.

As of Monday, he has 465 responses, 70 per cent in favour of lowering the limit, in a neighbourhood with 1,461 residences.

“Thirty per cent is hard. I’ve hit every door in Hazeldean and I’m at just over 30 per cent (response rate),” said Pavlek, who is also running for council against Nickel. “We don’t get that many people to vote in elections.”

Hazeldean roads are too narrow for a 50-km/h limit, Pavlek said, arguing the neighbourhood will be safer if drivers go slower.

Because the province sets all default speed limits to 50 kilometres per hour within city limits, changing limits by neighbourhood can cost $100,000 in traffic signs. The city needs signs at every entrance and throughout the neighbourhood.

Upcoming provincial changes might make the policy moot.

Municipal Affairs has suggested it might allow Edmonton and Calgary to set their own default speed limits in new city charters. That decision is expected next spring, but provincial spokesman Tim Seefeldt said this and similar traffic safety initiatives had strong support during the recent public consultation on the charters.

If that happens, speed limits could be an interesting election issue, said Bolstad. He’d like to see 40 km/h as a default speed with collector or arterial road posted 50 km/h or higher.

Many councillors have spoken in favour of dropping residential speed limits, and voted to formally consult the public. That report is due back at council in the spring.

Nickel said he supports a lower speed limit if that’s what local residents want. But it shouldn’t be just about speed. Traffic calming, painted crosswalks and pedestrian lights, “these are the kinds of tools we have at our disposal,” he said. “The 40 km/h thing can’t be just about a number.”