City of Minneapolis issued the following announcement on Nov. 19.
Crews have completed the installation of gateways signs at entry points in Minneapolis alerting drivers that the speed limit is now 20 mph in the city unless otherwise signed. The City of Saint Paul expects to complete installation of new citywide and downtown gateway signs by early 2021.
Slower speeds on local streets make travel safer for everyone no matter how you get around.
Now that the gateway signs are installed in Minneapolis, the 20 mph speed limit on local residential streets is in effect. The cities will generally not be posting 20 mph signs on local residential streets. The speed limit changes follow detailed technical studies done by the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul Public Works departments, respectively, to determine appropriate local speed limits as required by state statute.
A new Minneapolis gateway sign at Franklin Avenue and Emerald Street Southeast.
New speed limits are 20 mph for local residential streets; 25 mph for larger, arterial city-owned streets; and 30-plus mph for a few city-owned streets. Per Minnesota law, cities do not have authority to change speed limits on county and MnDOT roads. Speed limits on these streets in Minneapolis and Saint Paul will not change.
Earlier this year, Minneapolis Public Works staff installed nearly 1,400 new or updated speed limit signs. Saint Paul Public Works crews changed or installed approximately 725 new 25 mph speed limit signs and expects to install 160 citywide and downtown gateway signs by early 2021.
As part of a joint education awareness campaign the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul have distributed more than 4,500 free “20 is Plenty; Slower is Safer” yard signs to community members. Watch a video promoting the new slower speed limits.
Reducing speed limits is one of the key strategies in the Minneapolis Vision Zero Action Plan, which outlines key steps for the next three years to advance the City’s goal of ending traffic deaths and injuries on City streets by 2027.
In 2019, Saint Paul adopted its first-ever Pedestrian Plan, which included a city legislative agenda of advocating for a statewide reduction in urban speeds. In addition, the city’s pedestrian plan strives to reduce pedestrians’ exposure to motor vehicles, lower street design speeds, and pursue changes in street designs that lower design speeds and reduce roadway crossing widths. Saint Paul’s Comprehensive Plan also includes a “Vision Zero” program with the long-term goal of achieving zero traffic fatalities and severe injuries.
Learn more about the speed limit changes at visionzerompls.com and stpaul.gov/speedlimits.
Original source can be found here.
Source: City of Minneapolis
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