BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Drivers may soon need to hit the brakes in Burlington. The city might be reducing the speed limit in the downtown core from 25 mph to 20 mph. The city says this 5 mph reduction is all about safety.
Vehicles could soon be going a little slower through Burlington if they’re following the law.
“I’m a supporter of the 20-mile-an-hour speed limit, specifically to continue to promote pedestrians and bicycles,” said Tom Smith of Burlington.
The Public Works Commission will likely be lowering the speed limit to 20 mph inside the thick black line.
Burlington Public Works Director Chapin Spencer acknowledges enforcement is a challenge with low levels of police staffing. He says the change is not intended to catch people speeding.
“We’re hoping that this speed limit is more of an educational message than it really is a hard enforcement message, because at the end of the day, if we design our streets well, the natural speed should be slow and steady,” Spencer said.
The reduction is not a new suggestion, a 20 mph speed limit was recommended in a 2011 city transportation plan. But now with the influx of housing developments and more people, it’s likely the change will officially be made in October.
“We need to make sure that downtown is a neighborhood that supports families and supports elders and continues to add to the vitality. No one wants to be sitting on the sidewalk having a meal and having someone go by at 35, 40 miles an hour,” Spencer said.
However, some people believe 20 mph is too slow.
“I think it’s going to cause more congestion, more than anything else. I think people are pretty good at stopping and you know letting pedestrians go by now, so I think it’s, yeah, I think it’s just going to cause chaos,” said Joanie Semler of Winooski.
But the majority of people we spoke to thought it would help keep people safe.
“There’s a lot of pedestrians in downtown, and I think slower cars means safer pedestrians, safer streets, better for bikes,” said Tom Hengelsberg of Charlotte.
The city says data shows slower speeds cause fewer injuries and increase drivers’ fields of vision.
This isn’t quite a done deal yet. It will be voted on in a Public Works Commission meeting next week. However, the city says it has broad support.