Speed stays — Study supports 30 mph limit on South Summit
The speed limit on South Summit Avenue will remain at 30 mph after a city traffic study supported the existing limit, despite a resident’s request that it be lowered to 20 mph.
The Newcastle City Council voted Aug. 17 to retain the current speed limit following a review of data collected by the city’s new traffic-monitoring equipment.
The discussion continued a request first brought before the council July 6 by resident Linda Hunt. In a letter read during the meeting, Hunt argued that South Summit should have the same 20 mph limit found on several nearby streets.
Hunt pointed to Stampede Street, Seneca Avenue, Delaware Avenue, Salem Avenue, Deanne Avenue, Aspen Road and Elk Mountain Drive as examples of streets in the area with 20 mph limits.
“The only street in all of this area that is not 20 mph is South Summit,” Hunt wrote.
She asked the council to lower the limit because the street passes residential areas and includes existing and potential school bus stops. Hunt also requested that the new limit be enforced if approved.
City staff, however, recommended leaving the limit at 30 mph based on a seven-day study conducted on portions of South Summit. The equipment discreetly recorded vehicle speeds and traffic counts without collecting photographs or license plate information.
Officials said the city followed guidance calling for speed limits to generally be set within 5 mph of the speed traveled by 85% of motorists, while also considering factors such as driveways, intersections, sidewalks and pedestrian or bicycle traffic.
“My recommendation, looking at the numbers and working through the rest of the stuff, is to leave it at 30 miles based on the data,” said Greg Stumpff, public works supervisor.
The study recorded roughly 4,000 vehicles traveling in one direction and 5,212 in the other during the seven-day period. Stumpff said the 85th-percentile speed was 30 mph or higher, supporting the existing limit.
Council members acknowledged concerns about the narrow road, damaged mailboxes and pedestrians walking along the edge of the street. Mayor Tyrel Owens said he initially supported lowering the limit because South Summit passes through a residential area but said the study changed his view.
He said the city’s planned pathway project could do more to improve safety by removing pedestrians from the roadway. He recalled recently seeing vehicles nearly stop to safely pass a man walking his dog along the street.
“I just really feel like it’s necessary for us to have a pathway for people walking over there, and that would get them out of traffic,” Owens said.
Stumpff agreed that pedestrian and bicycle use is a factor when setting speed limits but said construction of the pathway would further support retaining the 30 mph limit.
The study also revealed isolated cases of significantly higher speeds, including readings in the 50 mph range. Stumpff said similarly high readings have been recorded on other collector streets, including Stampede Street and East Wentworth Street, at varying times of day.
It was noted that changing a sign would not necessarily change driver behavior.
The city has conducted seven-day studies on collector streets including Stampede Street, South Seneca Avenue, East Wentworth Street and South Summit Avenue. Staff said the equipment is placed discreetly so drivers do not change their behavior because they know their speed is being monitored.
Council members also expressed interest in studying traffic speeds on Main Street. Because Main Street is under the jurisdiction of the Wyoming Department of Transportation, city staff said WYDOT would have to approve or conduct the study.
Stumpff agreed to contact the department about the possibility.
Following the discussion, the council approved a motion to keep the South Summit speed limit at 30 mph.
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