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County adopts 45 mph speed limit on Warner Recker Road after new traffic‑study software demo
Summary
Wakulla County commissioners approved raising a segment of Warner Recker Road to 45 mph and heard a demonstration of new speed‑study software that staff said provides 7‑day, GPS‑based reports and 85th‑percentile analysis.
WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. — The Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners voted to increase the posted speed limit to 45 miles per hour on a roughly one‑mile segment of Warner Recker Road between Steve Moore Road and Warrington Court, and staff demonstrated new speed‑study software the county and sheriff’s office are using to analyze speeds.
Public works staff reported the change will start north of several telephone poles that currently sit close to the road; those poles will remain outside the 45 mph zone until they can be moved. The board approved the speed‑limit change by voice vote, 5‑0.
During a separate presentation, a county staff member described a new software tool that uses anonymized GPS and historical data to produce speed studies in seconds. The presenter said the software can generate 7‑day, weekly or monthly reports, produce heat‑map views for neighborhoods, and calculate the 85th‑percentile speed — a standard metric used in traffic engineering to reflect the speed at or below which 85 percent of drivers travel under normal conditions.
The presenter said one study showed an 85th‑percentile speed of 52 mph on a segment where the posted limit is 35 mph and that the new tool will allow staff to share an online link to study charts with citizens who call with speed complaints. He also said the tool can be used to evaluate congestion, collisions and to compare before‑and‑after speeds where improvements such as roundabouts have been installed.
The county noted the data are anonymized counts and speeds; the presenter emphasized the system does not identify individuals. Commissioners who spoke in favor said the software speeds response time to citizen requests and helps identify roads that meet the county’s criteria for traffic calming.
