Traffic engineers and policymakers are increasingly taking pedestrian needs into account when they set speed limits. By slowing vehicles down, they are improving safety for everyone.
For one thing, local governments don’t always have the authority to make these changes — at least not without jumping through some hoops. State laws often require local communities to perform engineering studies to justify a lower speed limit.
This is one thing I’m running up against. The main road that bisects my community is a state highway, five lanes wide with a speed limit of 45.
Children are bussed across the street from the school because it’s so unsafe to cross. The walk signals are barely long enough for an able-bodied person to make it in time, let alone the elderly or children. And there are cars turning while you attempt to cross.
But I can yell at my local government - of which my dad is a part - all I want and they’re helpless to do anything because it’s a state highway. And I’ve told my state rep - who’s someone I know from high school - and he said there’s no way he could do anything because the legislature would never vote for less highways.
This is one thing I’m running up against. The main road that bisects my community is a state highway, five lanes wide with a speed limit of 45.
Children are bussed across the street from the school because it’s so unsafe to cross. The walk signals are barely long enough for an able-bodied person to make it in time, let alone the elderly or children. And there are cars turning while you attempt to cross.
But I can yell at my local government - of which my dad is a part - all I want and they’re helpless to do anything because it’s a state highway. And I’ve told my state rep - who’s someone I know from high school - and he said there’s no way he could do anything because the legislature would never vote for less highways.