Without additional changes to roadway design, lower speed limits only slightly reduce driving speeds.
Lowering posted speed limits has only a small impact on how fast people drive, according to a study from the University of Minnesota,
As Tim Harlow reports in The Minnesota Star Tribune, a drop in speed limits on residential streets in St. Louis Park led to a 1- to 2-mile-per-hour speed reduction across the city.
Studies show there is little change in speed patterns after a lower speed limit is posted. Drivers are much more influenced by changes to the roadway, its environment and conditions, the Minnesota Department of Transportation said.
According to Gary Davis, a professor in the Civil, Environmental and Geo-Engineering Department at the University of Minnesota, “many drivers have had the habit of going 30 mph on city streets for so long before the speed limit changed, and that it can take time and effort to change behavior.”
FULL STORY: Do lower speed limits on city streets actually slow down drivers?
Santa Monica Lowers Speed Limits
Posted speed limits will be reduced by 5 miles per hour on dozens of the city’s streets.
Philly Speed Camera Program Cuts Fatalities in Half
Excessive speeding along dangerous segments of Roosevelt Boulevard dropped by 90 percent after the city installed automated enforcement cameras.
Busting a Common Myth About Speeding
Drivers sometimes defend speeding by arguing that it is safe as long as other drivers are also speeding. This argument only makes sense in the context of a limited-access highway.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service