The speed limit in Ottawa's residential neighbourhoods could be lowered soon.

City councillors will consider a report next week that lays out the process to lower speed limits in residential areas from 50 kilometres an hour to 40 km/h.

The default speed limit, set by the province's Highway Traffic Act, is 50 km/h on residential streets with no posted limits.   

Capital Ward Coun. Clive Doucet, a proponent of the plan, has already lowered the speed limits on some of the streets in his ward. 

But Doucet said the ability to reduce speed limits needs to be made easier and should be extended to the rest of the city.

Because police generally don't nab speeders until they're 10 km/h over the limit, many people exceed residential speed limits, Doucet said.

"If you've got a 50 km/h speed limit on your residential street, you know people are going 60 [and] 60 kilometres is scary," Doucet said.

The province would have to revise the Highway Traffic Act to lower the default limit.

The report will be presented to the city's transportation committee next Wednesday.