Saratoga Springs to hold public hearing on proposal to lower citywide speed limit to 25 mph

The City of Saratoga Springs will hold a public hearing tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. to consider three ordinance amendments that together would lower the default speed limit in the city from 30 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour, with exceptions for state and county roads, school zones and some arterial streets.

City officials said the three amendments to chapter 225 of the city code, article 9, would be combined into a single hearing. Deputy Mayor Kiernan is scheduled to present the capital budget and programs before the hearing; the speed-limit measures are the first of the public hearings the council listed.

“The 3 amendments to the ordinance will involve lowering the speed limit from 30 miles an hour to 25 miles an hour throughout the entire city, with some exceptions,” the Public Safety commissioner said during the meeting.

City staff and the public will be able to comment during the hearing; the council did not take any final votes on the ordinance during the meeting. The proposed changes would amend the vehicle and traffic provisions of the city code and specify exceptions on roads shared with county or state jurisdictions, plus school zones and key arterial streets.

If adopted after public comment and any subsequent votes, the amendment would change the default posted speed on many city streets. Officials emphasized that some roads under county or state control, as well as designated school and arterial corridors, would be exempted from the blanket reduction.

The hearing is listed as the first of seven public hearings scheduled for the meeting night. The city advised that details, including the exact text of the ordinance amendments and any maps of affected streets, will be available with the public hearing materials circulated prior to the hearing.