TEMPE, Ariz. — Look out, Arizona drivers: One Valley city is considering lowering speed limits along some roads.
Tempe is looking to lower the speed limit on four roads within the city, citing changing road use and a need for consistent speed limits.
"The idea is to try to — what we're calling — right size the speed limit," Catherine Hollow, Tempe city traffic engineer, said.
The proposed changes could be coming to Mill Avenue near the Tempe Town Lake Bridge, as well as South of University to Broadway, Southern Avenue, First Street, and College Avenue North from Curry.
"The roadside culture has changed over the years, the roadway function may have changed and so we're just trying to get the speed to match the kind of road that it is," Hollow said.
For example, Hollow said before Loop 101, College Avenue was a major connection from Curry Road north. Changes were made after the volume decreased, but the speed limit has stayed at 35 mph.
"We never changed the speed limit and we've also added a park preserve and some museums, so we're just trying to get the speed to match what's going on on the street today," Hollow said.
Other streets like Southern Avenue and Mill Avenue are being considered for changes to help with speed limit consistency.
"It is much easier to enforce, not only for the officers that are going out there and trying to reduce accidents and improving traffic safety, but it's also easier for the people driving through the city every day to have consistent speeds through the same roadway," Lt. Michael Hayes with Tempe Police Department said.
Public meetings are being held on Wednesday, May 15. The first is at noon virtually and another will be held at 6 p.m. at the Tempe Public Library near Rural and Southern.
Following public comment, the proposed changes will go through the city council process.
"This is a safety issue, so we have to lower the speeds," Tempe Vice Mayor Jennifer Adams said.
Adams hopes people in Tempe will see the need and benefit of consistency and increased safety on city roads.
"If people really have the facts and understand why this is so important, I think they will be supportive of us slowing these speed limits down," Adams said.
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