Boston Lowers Speed Limits to 20 MPH—Columnist Sees Opportunity for Satire

Yvonne Abraham writes a satirical take on the recent unanimous decision by the Boston City Council to lower the speed limit on some city streets to 20 miles per hour. Abraham's conceit: though the 20 mph speed limit might be a nice idea, Bostonians could not possibly drive 20 miles per hour.

Abraham reports the results of an experiment, undertaken with Reporter David Filipov: "We jumped into his car and proceeded to creep along city streets, careful to stay below the proposed speed limit." The result: "Boy, was it annoying — to us, sure, but especially to our fellow motorists."

In the end Abraham concludes the driving 20 mph simply does not reconcile with the priorities of Boston residents:

But we are no Finland. We’re mean-streets Boston, our drivers proudly among the worst in the nation (though the science on that is hinky). We deride blinkers, slam on brakes, floor it whenever we can.

For less snark and more objective analysis of the city's decision to lower speed limits on some of its streets, see an article by Meghan E. Irons, written prior to the City Council decision.