Speed limit may go up on Cheyenne Boulevard
By Alicia Ebaugh Journal staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Years of debate over the speed limit on Cheyenne Boulevard has so far been unproductive -- it's seemed that no matter the numbers on those rectangular, black and white signs, the problems haven't gone away.
When the speed limit was 30 miles per hour, residents along the street claimed motorists were driving too fast and causing too many accidents. So in 2004, without any traffic studies, the city reduced the speed limit from 30 to 25 along Cheyenne Boulevard from 27th Street north to Outer Drive. Even then, the complaints continued, but some said they were driving too slowly.
What to do? No one's quite sure.
In a Tuesday night meeting with about 50 people who live along the busy street, Dave Carney, senior civil engineer for the city, said that after examining traffic studies done last spring, the city's traffic committee has recommended the street's speed limit be raised to 35 miles per hour from 27th to 46th street. That would put it in line with other "through streets."
"It hasn't slowed traffic by lowering the speed limit," Carney said. "About 85 percent of drivers are going 33 to 36 miles per hour down that street. You have a 10 to 20 percent compliance rate on that 25-mile-per-hour limit. ... It's been proven that traffic flow is safest when that 85 percent rate for speed is followed on any street because that's the speed people feel comfortable and safe driving."
The lack of compliance is even with officers ticketing at least one person a day on the road, said Sioux City Police Sgt. Mike McCormick. What's more, the rate of traffic crashes on Cheyenne has increased, Carney said.
"The kinds of accidents haven't changed really, just the number," he said. "People are paying more attention to their speed than to their surroundings."
Many residents at the meeting raised concerns about increasing the speed by 10 miles per hour, saying "it will attract people who want to find the street with the highest speed limit" and "encourage faster traffic." That's only partially true, Carney said.
"I would be surprised if you saw more than a two-mile-per-hour increase over (35 miles per hour) ... that speed is where people are comfortable," he said. "It's very difficult to do something about that 15 percent of drivers who will drive above the reasonable speed limit regardless of what's posted."
The situation has also pushed faster traffic onto side streets like Court and Virginia street because of increased police presence and congestion, Carney said, displacing the problem a street away in a less safer and more narrow environment.
Other residents like Anthony Iezzi were happy that the speed limit will most likely go back up.
"I was frustrated trying to maintain 25 miles per hour. Even without my foot on the gas I was going faster," Iezzi said. "My concern isn't the people driving 25, 35, 45 -- it's the ones going 60, 70, even 80. And really there isn't much you can do to stop them."
After a vote from the residents, Carney said it seemed restoring the street to a limit of 30 miles per hour (with stringent police enforcement within 5 miles) was the most desirable option. A decision should be made within a week after he reviews the situation with the city public works director, he said.
When the speed limit was 30 miles per hour, residents along the street claimed motorists were driving too fast and causing too many accidents. So in 2004, without any traffic studies, the city reduced the speed limit from 30 to 25 along Cheyenne Boulevard from 27th Street north to Outer Drive. Even then, the complaints continued, but some said they were driving too slowly.
What to do? No one's quite sure.
In a Tuesday night meeting with about 50 people who live along the busy street, Dave Carney, senior civil engineer for the city, said that after examining traffic studies done last spring, the city's traffic committee has recommended the street's speed limit be raised to 35 miles per hour from 27th to 46th street. That would put it in line with other "through streets."
"It hasn't slowed traffic by lowering the speed limit," Carney said. "About 85 percent of drivers are going 33 to 36 miles per hour down that street. You have a 10 to 20 percent compliance rate on that 25-mile-per-hour limit. ... It's been proven that traffic flow is safest when that 85 percent rate for speed is followed on any street because that's the speed people feel comfortable and safe driving."
The lack of compliance is even with officers ticketing at least one person a day on the road, said Sioux City Police Sgt. Mike McCormick. What's more, the rate of traffic crashes on Cheyenne has increased, Carney said.
"The kinds of accidents haven't changed really, just the number," he said. "People are paying more attention to their speed than to their surroundings."
Many residents at the meeting raised concerns about increasing the speed by 10 miles per hour, saying "it will attract people who want to find the street with the highest speed limit" and "encourage faster traffic." That's only partially true, Carney said.
"I would be surprised if you saw more than a two-mile-per-hour increase over (35 miles per hour) ... that speed is where people are comfortable," he said. "It's very difficult to do something about that 15 percent of drivers who will drive above the reasonable speed limit regardless of what's posted."
The situation has also pushed faster traffic onto side streets like Court and Virginia street because of increased police presence and congestion, Carney said, displacing the problem a street away in a less safer and more narrow environment.
Other residents like Anthony Iezzi were happy that the speed limit will most likely go back up.
"I was frustrated trying to maintain 25 miles per hour. Even without my foot on the gas I was going faster," Iezzi said. "My concern isn't the people driving 25, 35, 45 -- it's the ones going 60, 70, even 80. And really there isn't much you can do to stop them."
After a vote from the residents, Carney said it seemed restoring the street to a limit of 30 miles per hour (with stringent police enforcement within 5 miles) was the most desirable option. A decision should be made within a week after he reviews the situation with the city public works director, he said.
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H Rollins wrote on Mar 15, 2007 5:38 PM:
solutions are not easy wrote on Mar 14, 2007 7:34 PM:
Cheyenne Resident wrote on Mar 14, 2007 3:40 PM:
what rubbish wrote on Mar 14, 2007 12:05 PM:
Life-long Cheyenne resident wrote on Mar 14, 2007 11:46 AM: