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.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
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New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.
Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.
Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
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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City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
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