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I b. Speed Limit <br />General Information <br />• Speed limits are set by state statutes (169.14) <br />and all agencies must follow the state statute."" <br />• Decisions on changing speeds are based <br />on speed studies that require state DOT <br />commissioner's approval. Be sure to take <br />the time to read and understand the statute, <br />as there are other variations to speed limits <br />included. !'"$' <br />• In Minnesota, the statutory speed in an urban <br />district is generally 30 mph. (169.14) i') <br />• Speeding may be a result of drivers using the <br />areas as a cut through, with speed limits not <br />being the issue. Further investigation would <br />be important to determine if diverters, traffic <br />circles, or enforcement is necessary. <br />Effectiveness <br />• Volumes: Speed limit changes generally do <br />not result in a net reduction of traffic. (2) (9) <br />• Speeds: Unlikely to reduce speeds as motorists <br />drive roadways at a speed they are comfortable <br />with. Drivers select their safe speed based on <br />their perception of actual roadway conditions <br />(i.e. road width, pedestrian presence, parked <br />vehicles, obstructions). (3 & 12) <br />• Safety: Actual crash data shows that crash <br />rates do not decrease with a speed decrease. <br />If there is an actual speeding issue, lowered <br />speeds could result in safer streets. <br />• High levels of enforcement, when present, <br />may result in more vehicles driving the speed <br />limit if an actual speeding issue is occurring. <br />• Increased on -street parking can be an effective <br />way to reduce speeds in residential areas. <br />Addressing Citizen Requests For Traffic Safety Concerns 17 <br />