Fairfax County plans pilot study for reduced speed limits on residential roads

The Fairfax County Transportation Committee convened on October 29, 2024, to discuss the implementation of local authority for reducing speed limits on certain roads. This meeting followed up on previous discussions regarding House Bill 1071, which grants counties the ability to lower speed limits on roads currently posted at 25 miles per hour to a minimum of 15 miles per hour, provided these roads are located in business or residential districts.

Vanessa Holt, an engineer from the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT), presented a detailed overview of the proposed pilot study aimed at testing reduced speed limits. She highlighted successful examples from neighboring jurisdictions, such as Falls Church City and Montgomery County, Maryland, which have implemented lower speed limits with positive outcomes in terms of reduced average speeds and fewer vehicles exceeding safe limits.

The committee discussed the criteria for selecting candidate roads for the pilot study, emphasizing the importance of community engagement and the need for roads to exhibit characteristics that would encourage compliance with lower speed limits. Recommendations included focusing on roads with pedestrian activity, sidewalks, and marked crosswalks, which are more likely to support lower speed limits.

Several committee members expressed concerns about the proposed pilot's scope, suggesting that three roads may not adequately represent the diverse environments within the county. They advocated for a broader selection to capture varying conditions, such as rural and urban settings. The committee agreed on the target speed limit of 20 miles per hour for the pilot but acknowledged the need for further discussion on the number of roads to include.

The committee plans to report back within a year of the pilot's implementation, conducting before-and-after studies to evaluate the effectiveness of the speed limit changes. This data will inform future decisions on broader speed limit reductions across the county.

Overall, the meeting underscored the county's commitment to enhancing road safety and addressing community concerns regarding traffic speeds, with a focus on data-driven decision-making for future implementations.