Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Speed Study topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Officials say on‑request speed studies possible but formal speed changes require state action
Summary
Town leaders said YDOT’s leader told them the department will run speed studies on the town’s request; residents discussed timing and objectives of the studies but were reminded that only the legislature can change statutory speed limits.
The Moderator opened the urbanization update by noting that Darren West, described in the meeting as head of YDOT, committed that the department would perform additional speed studies when the town asks. He told attendees, "When you say you want one, we'll do it at your request when you want."
Why it matters: many residents want lower speeds through parts of town, but the Moderator cautioned that formal statutory speed‑limit changes require legislative action. The group discussed whether the study’s purpose is to document prevailing speeds or to show that drivers would slow if a lower legal limit or additional streetscape measures were introduced.
A Committee member asked about timing and whether to conduct the study in busier summer months or in spring when normal traffic is easier to compare; the Moderator suggested spring or April–May for a typical snapshot. Residents and officials also discussed low‑cost local measures—temporary signs, welcome signs and curb‑and‑gutter treatments—that can make routes read as town streets and potentially influence driver behavior even if a statutory change is not forthcoming.
No formal motion or request to YDOT was recorded during the meeting; attendees agreed to refine the town’s priority locations for a speed study and the desired target limits to present when requesting a study.
