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Delaware County introduces ordinance to post speed limits on several rural roads after traffic studies
Summary
The Delaware County Board of Commissioners introduced Ordinance 2025-10 after staff presented traffic studies recommending posted speed limits and all-way stops at multiple rural locations; the first reading was approved and the item moves to a second reading.
Delaware County commissioners on Monday introduced Ordinance 2025-10, a first reading that would add posted speed limits and new stop controls on multiple county roads after a year of traffic studies.
Paula, a county traffic staff member who conducted the counts, presented results recommending specific posted limits — for example, 30 mph on Shindell from 500 through the curve toward Clifton, 40 mph on stretches in Hamilton and Harrison townships, and a 31 mph posting on Smithfield Pike north to Selma. She also recommended 30–35 mph limits at accident-prone curves and proposed adding all-way stops at several intersections where sight lines or parking obstruct drivers.
The ordinance matters because several listed roads currently have no posted speed limits, county staff said, and commissioners cited complaints about speeding, increased semi-truck traffic and damage to shoulders. Commissioner Richard Reagan moved to introduce the ordinance for its first reading; the motion passed on the roll call vote for introduction, sending the item to a second reading for formal adoption.
Commissioners and staff discussed enforcement and follow-up steps. Tommy, a highway department staff member, described capital work planned at a problematic intersection on County Road 775 South — narrowing, corner widening and shoring — and said the county will try a four-way stop and related traffic calming (stop bars, rumble strips, flashers) before deciding on paving changes. Paula said some stretches show 80th-percentile speeds above posted recommendations (one location showed an 80th-percentile of about 44.1 mph), which informed the suggested postings.
A public hearing on the changes was held during the meeting; commissioners closed the hearing by motion before introducing the ordinance. The county cited data from automated counters and multi-day counts and said locations will be reevaluated after signage and short-term mitigations are installed.
If adopted at second reading, the ordinance would direct staff to install signs and proceed with the engineering steps for the listed road segments and intersections. Commissioners asked staff to supply follow-up studies and to coordinate with the sheriff’s office on enforcement once postings are in place.
