Traffic & Transit
Edina Residents Urged To Weigh In On Proposal To Change Local Speed Limits
Since August 2019, Minnesota cities have had the authority to set speed limits on streets they control.
October 9, 2020
Edina, Minn., Oct. 8, 2020 – The City of Edina’s Engineering Department seeks the public’s input on proposed changes to local speed limits.
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Since August 2019, Minnesota cities have had the authority to set speed limits on streets they control. The current speed limit on most Edina streets is 30 mph. Because speeding in neighborhoods was raised as an issue in the most recent Quality of Life Survey and because the City is supportive of efforts to improve safety and mobility for all users and all modes of transportation, the Engineering Department is proposing to change the speed limit in many areas.
“Many cities across the United States have lowered their local speed limits, including New York City, Seattle, Portland, Boston and, most recently, Minneapolis and St. Paul,” said Transportation Planner Andrew Scipioni. “In each case, the primary motivation is to improve safety for all road users. The difference between 30 and 25 miles per hour may not seem like much to a driver, but it can mean a lot to a pedestrian or cyclist. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, pedestrian fatalities have increased more than 50 percent in the last decade, with over 6,000 pedestrians killed in traffic accidents every year since 2016. That 5-mph difference reduces stopping distance by almost 3 car lengths and reduces the likelihood of severe injury or death by 15-20% in the event of an accident.”
Find out what's happening in Edinafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Residents are encouraged to weigh in on the Engineering Department’s draft recommendations before Friday, Oct. 30 at BetterTogetherEdina.org/speed-limit-plan. Staff will review the input received and prepare a final report for the Transportation Commission to review in November before the matter is considered by the City Council in December.
For more information or to weigh in, visit BetterTogetherEdina.org/speed-limit-plan.
This press release was produced by the City of Edina. The views expressed here are the author’s own.