Oregon Cities Could Gain Control Over Speed Limits

A new law would allow cities to lower speed limits without going through an onerous state approval process.

1 minute read

December 22, 2022, 9:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


25mph speed limit sign against blue sky with white clouds

Mike Kuhlman / Speed limit sign

A new Oregon law could let cities set their own speed limits on some roads, bypassing the long and often unsuccessful process by which cities have had to apply for lower speed limits until now.

Kea Wilson of Streetsblog reports on the proposed law, which would allow cities to more quickly adjust speed limits on dangerous roads and respond to community concerns. The law would not apply to interstate freeways or state-controlled roads, and would require cities to prove they can provide meaningful recommendations for new speeds.

A parallel proposal would improve safety on state-controlled roads by changing the calculation for speed limits, which, in most U.S. cities, is dictated by the “85th percentile rule,” setting the speed limit at the average speed that 85 percent of drivers travel. “Now, many Oregon roads will be subject to a significantly safer 50th percentile rule, wherein the slowest half of drivers on the road will set the standard,” along with road conditions and adjacent businesses and developments.

According to Wilson, Portland is already engaged in an effort to reduce speed limits on many of its roads. “As part of a separate effort, the city already won the right to slow to 20 miles per hour in 2018, and it’s continuing to redesign its roads to reinforce those limits as fast as possible.”

Tuesday, December 20, 2022 in Streetsblog USA

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight