Agenda - Council - 05/12/2009 - Laserfiche WebLink

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1.0 BACKGROUND 1.1 Introduction This report presents the Minnesota Department of Transportation's recommendations on speed limit matters pertaining to local roads. The recommendations address issues of definition, speed lunit statutory text language and speed limit enforcement. These recommendations were developed in consultation with engineering representatives of local governments who participated in a Task Force process. The work of the Task Force was supplemented with research and with interviews of local govet7unent engineering and law enforcement personnel. The recommendations documented in this report represent Mn/DOT's views. These views were informed by significant consultation with local government representatives. By taking the time to study and explore the speed limit topic, the Task Force was able to develop a consensus on how to effectively propose modifications that would be successful in managing speed limits throughout Minnesota. 1.2 Impetus for Study / History. of Similar Studies Speed limits and speed enforcement, in particular on local or residential roads, are important topics that local government units address on a frequent basis. Periodically over __ _ _ -the past two decades, the increased concern over these issues has led to the topic's being brought to the legislature with ensuing study by Mn/DOT. Mn/DOT last formally studied the local road speed limit topic iGo ve nrnent Affairs tok Force that was formed at the request of the Mn/I?OT Office of investigate whether the 30 MPH statutory value should be lowered. Representation on that Task Force came from small and large. cities and counties. Members included, mayors, city administrators, city engineers, county engineers, professional transportation associations, and the Minnesota League of Cities. The Task Force was chaired by the Assistant State Traffic Engineer. The primary conclusion was that discourteous driving habits, residents' misconception of speeds, and an ongoing interest in safer neighborhoods combine to create a perception that drivers are traveling too fast on local streets. Safety in neighborhoods may be compromised by discourteous and careless driving, but was notfound to be compromised by an overall speeding problem:. The results of the 1993-1994. Task Force effort were docume ~ ed in the report "Task Force on Urban Residential Speed Limits, Final Report, March 199 Subsequent to the 1994 Task Force Report, no significant changes to speed limit statutes for urban districts or residential roads were implemented in Minnesota. There has been, and continues to be, a desire on the part of many members of the public to change the urban district speed limit to 2S. These desires have been communicated to members of the Legislature. In response to this, in the 2007 session of the Minnesota Legislature- House File 1909 was proposed. (A copy of this bill is included in the Appendix A-3.) This bill ordered the Commissioner of Transportation to conduct a study of local Page 1 -t56-