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Committee backs lowering Kings Highway speed limit to 25 mph after TrailNet testimony
Summary
Board Bill 77, introduced by Alderman Tice, would reduce the speed limit on Kings Highway Memorial Boulevard (Dr. Martin Luther King to Berkshire) to 25 mph; TrailNet testified in support citing crash and speed-reduction studies and the committee advanced the bill with a due-pass recommendation.
Alderman Tice presented Board Bill 77 to reduce the posted speed limit on Kings Highway Memorial Boulevard between Dr. Martin Luther King and Berkshire from 35 mph to 25 mph, saying the change is part of an effort to slow traffic on predominantly residential stretches and compensate for speeding that followed recent repaving.
Eric Helmer, community planning manager at TrailNet, testified in support and cited Missouri State Highway Patrol crash data and research from other cities showing reductions in serious-injury crashes after speed-limit reductions and complementary traffic-calming measures. Helmer said TrailNet supports citywide speed-limit reductions on local streets and arterials and pointed to the city's transportation master plan recommending lower limits on local streets.
Committee members asked about enforcement, emergency-vehicle access and the possibility of using retired officers for targeted traffic enforcement; Alderman Tice said she has explored temporary hires and other enforcement options. Members also discussed lane and median configurations, the role of posted signage and neighborhood outreach; some members offered to cosponsor the bill.
The committee moved and passed Board Bill 77 out of committee with a due-pass recommendation. The item will next be scheduled for the full Board.
