Town officials last week voted to recommend lowering the speed limits on three local roads so that they’re 25 mph throughout.
The Police Commission voted 3-0 at its June 19 meeting to establish the new speed limit throughout Old Norwalk Road, Wahackme Road and Weed Street.
“They should be uniform,” Chairman Sperry DeCew said during the regular meeting, held in the training room at the New Canaan Police Department. “Almost all of them [local roads] are 25 [mph].”
Commissioners Paul Foley and Jim McLaughlin also voted in favor of the change.
The change is meant to create more uniformity among local roads, which would then be 25 mph throughout New Canaan. (State roads such as Routes 106, 123 and 124 allow for higher speeds.) After residents of Silvermine Road complained about the 30 mph speed limit there, the town lowered it to 25 mph despite warnings from police and others that doing so would not change motorist behavior.
State officials still would need to approve the new recommendation to lower speed limits on parts of the three local roads in question, which are 30 mph along some stretches.
McLaughlin noted that he travels on Weed Street every day and that although the lower portion of the road is hilly and curvy, and that 25 mph may be an appropriate speed limit there, 30 mph makes more sense for the straight portion between Elm Street and West Road.
“It is kind of a slow speed for that portion,” McLaughlin said. “People are going to exceed it.”
Police Chief Leon Krolikowski agreed, as had members of an administrative team—the Traffic Calming Work Group—that made the recommendation.
During a June 18 meeting also held in the training room, the Work Group noted that road conditions on the streets in question wouldn’t necessarily change because of a newly lowered speed limit, and that New Canaan risked what amounted to creating violations for motorists.
“Your perception is that it’s safer at 25 mph, but it’s really the same traffic conditions,” Police Deputy Chief John DiFederico said during the Work Group’s meeting. It also includes members of the Parking, Public Works and Fire Departments.
Public Works Director Tiger Mann noted that parts of Wahackme Road are long and straight, and drivers may often travel at 34 mph there, and would continue to do so, regardless of of a newly lowered speed limit.
Michael, you stated in your article that the speed limit on Silvermine Rd. was changed to 25 mph despite the fact that police said it would not change motorist behavior. The obvious question here is—did it have any effect on Silvermine? It would be interesting to know since I believe that change was made at least a couple of years ago.
I believe officials said last week that the 85th percentile of motorists on Silvermine Road travel at the same speed (about 32 or 34 mph, if memory serves). Even so, the traffic officials said, those who live along that road may perceive a difference—real or imagined—based on the speed limit reduction alone. The traffic experts also favored a double-yellow line on the road as a speed-reduction measure, as it makes motorists feel the road is pinched narrower and slows them down, but residents pushed back on that, too.
I would like to see Lakeview put on the 25 mile list…heavily trafficked,cars speed both ways constantly ! It is a cut-thru for traffic to Norwalk. Even the stop sign at the Millport Rd. intersection, too often just gets a casual pause !
Waste of tax payers money for new signs – people wont go slower just like they won’t stop turning left onto Nursery street.
Boston did a major speed limit reduction from 30 to 25 mph. The mean speeds dropped from 24.8 mph before to 24.8 mph after, for a MASSIVE decrease in actual speeds of 0.0 mph. The 85th percentile speeds dropped from 31.0 mph before to 31.0 mph after, for another MASSIVE decrease in actual speeds of 0.0 mph.
Posted limits, as the police said, do NOT affect actual traffic speeds. All that changes is the creation of speed traps to be used in for-profit enforcement.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association