Denver, dealing with an increase in traffic fatalities during the pandemic, has lowered speed limits on some residential streets. Critics say the new law neglects the most needed traffic safety changes.
"The default speed limit on Denver’s unposted streets will soon be lowered from 25 mph to 20 mph after the Denver City Council approved the change Monday," reports Hannah Metzger for The Denver Gazette.
"The approved measure will reduce the default speed on city streets where no limit is posted, applying most specifically to neighborhood streets with no center line," adds Metzger. "The Department of Transportation said it will also decrease the speed limits of posted neighborhood streets to 20 mph beginning in 2022."
Councilmember Kendra Black was the sole no vote on the change. The article provides space for the councilmember to make the case that the speed limit changes are targeting the wrong kind of street, with arterials the source of the most carnage on local roads.
Like many other Vision Zero cities, the recent years has been particularly deadly—with the most fatalities since the city announced its Vision Zero initiative in 2016. There does seem to be an uptick in the number of cities lowering speed limits. Norfolk, Virginia was the previous example picked up by Planetizen.
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