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Police: Middleburg does not qualify for $200 'excessive speed' signage; council asks for more data and enforcement options
Summary
The police department reported that a town speed study did not meet the state threshold for signs that impose an extra $200 fine, and council asked staff to get more granular, direction-specific speed data and to consider alternative safety measures.
Police staff told the council on July 24 that the town does not currently qualify to install signage that would carry an additional $200 fine for excessive speed because the town's measured 85th-percentile speeds do not exceed the posted limit by the required threshold.
Chief Jones explained the three criteria for the additional-$200 signage: a documented speed problem, a formal speed study collecting speed data at one or more points, and an 85th-percentile speed in at least one direction that exceeds the posted limit by 10 mph or more. The department's 90-day study at the East Washington Street sign location produced an 85th-percentile reading of about 26.97 mph in one direction and about 28.04 mph in the other — short of the 10-mph threshold for the enhanced fines.
Staff recommended alternative pedestrian-safety measures because the $200-sign option is not available. Options discussed included rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFBs), higher-visibility crosswalk signage, advanced-warning signs set ahead of crosswalks, pedestrian flags and relocating movable driver-feedback radar signs to gather more targeted downtown data. Staff cautioned against adding bright signage in the historic downtown core because of aesthetic and “sign-clutter” concerns, but said they would assess alternatives and locations with public-works staff.
Several council members questioned whether the existing speed-sign data give a holistic picture because the signs measure both inbound and outbound traffic at the measurement points and do not segregate eastbound from westbound runs where behavior and safety needs differ. Council members asked the police to determine if the existing units can produce direction-specific data or whether the town should run a more detailed speed study at additional downtown locations.
Chief Jones also said officers have issued warnings and conducted traffic enforcement but agreed to provide a fuller report on speed-enforcement activity (citations and patrol hours) so council can assess whether stepped-up enforcement or equipment (e.g., lidar devices) would be effective. Town staff said radar signs are movable and could be redeployed to capture midtown speeds if council wants targeted data there. The police also introduced a new administrative specialist, Ari Young, who began work the prior week.
