Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
New Ulm council backs study recommendation to pursue 20 mph school zones, sets high school at 25 mph
Summary
After an SRF Consulting study, the city council authorized staff to pursue implementation strategies and grant funding to lower neighborhood school speed limits to 20 mph and post 25 mph near New Ulm High School, with targeted countermeasures and an implementation target of 2027.
The New Ulm City Council voted March 17 to receive a citywide school-zone speed-limit study and authorize staff to pursue implementation strategies, including grant applications and local funding for proposed equipment and signage.
Tom Sack, a traffic engineer with SRF Consulting Group, told the council the study reviewed speed radar counts taken in summer and fall and crash data near all city schools. "The slower people go, the better the outcomes are," Sack said, summarizing why the team recommended reduced posted limits. SRF recommended posting 20 mph for most neighborhood schools and 25 mph for New Ulm High School, where observed 85th‑percentile speeds were near 35 mph.
City Engineer Stodden said the Safety Commission endorsed the report and that the council could pursue grants such as Safe Routes to School or Active Transportation to cover implementation costs. "Grants are out there that could fund upwards of 100% of this," Stodden said, while noting grant rounds commonly open in the fall and that budgeting for a 2027 implementation is an option if grants are not secured.
The report identified few severe crashes near schools in the last five years but noted several minor and possible‑injury crashes; SRF flagged the roundabout near New Ulm High School as a frequent site for property‑damage collisions. The firm also recommended countermeasures to improve compliance: flashing beacons at school‑zone signs and speed‑feedback signs. Sack estimated flashing beacons at about $2,000–$3,000 each and speed‑feedback signs at $6,000–$7,000 apiece, producing typical per‑school zone ranges of roughly $8,000–$10,000, with double that if multiple sign pairs are needed.
Some councilors expressed concern about local cost. One councilor warned that an $85,000 implementation option would represent "almost 1% levy" impact, urging care in budgeting. Councilors discussed phasing, pursuing grants first, and scoping smaller interventions where data showed low speeds already.
After discussion, council voted to receive the study and authorize staff to pursue implementation strategies for 2027, including grant applications and potential budgeting for work the council wants to move forward on.
The Safety Commission and SRF materials cited MnDOT guidance (June 2023) on school‑zone speed limits as the technical basis for the recommendations. The council did not set final posted limits at the meeting; staff will return with implementation plans and, depending on funding, a construction timeline for 2027.
