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Committee keeps Silvernail speed limits but approves 'Caution: Hidden Driveway' sign after resident complaints
Summary
City staff presented a five-day speed study showing average speeds of about 43–44 mph and 85th-percentile speeds near 48 mph on Silvernail Road; police recommended keeping posted limits. After resident concerns, the committee approved a caution hidden-driveway sign by a 3–1 vote.
City staff presented findings from a five-day speed study on Silvernail Road and the committee on Tuesday voted 3–1 to install a ‘Caution: Hidden Driveway’ sign rather than lower posted speeds.
Alex, a Public Works staff member, told the committee the automated count collected in October showed average speeds about 43–44 miles per hour and an 85th-percentile (the speed at or below which 85% of drivers travel) near 48 mph along the corridor that transitions from 35 to 45 mph. He said the police department reviewed the data and recommended leaving the posted speeds unchanged because state and federal guidance typically sets posted limits within 5 mph of the 85th percentile.
Alderman (Speaker 9) and several residents urged lowering the posted speed to 35 mph for the stretch between Meadowbrook Road and the transition to 25 mph, saying access to driveways and sight lines make the current posted limit uncomfortable for residents. "When you come off Meadowbrook, I have to slow almost immediately to get into my driveway," resident Christine Garlach said. "By the time they get to Sussex Lane, they're already navigating to slow down."
Staff warned the committee that posting limits substantially below the 85th percentile often increases speed variance, can create a larger range of travel speeds, and typically requires more enforcement. Alex said one of the data collection tube sets later failed near the 35-to-25 transition, so staff lacked a full dataset for that micro-location.
With no second on a motion to change posted limits, members instead adopted a smaller intervention. The committee approved placing a caution hidden-driveway sign on the eastbound approach just before the curve near several driveways; the chair summarized the implementation as a low-cost, immediate step that could be revisited if it proves ineffective. The vote was recorded as 3 in favor and 1 opposed; individual roll-call votes were not specified in the record.
The committee also discussed non-sign alternatives including radar feedback (“Too Fast”) signs and the option of commissioning an updated speed study in spring. Staff said the hidden-driveway sign would be inexpensive and available within standard sign inventories.
