Southard Stop Signs

By Pru Sowers

Key West City Commissioners are considering putting the brakes on drivers speeding down Southard Street.

That thoroughfare is one of the last in town that has no stop lights or stop signs for long stretches, encouraging drivers to put the pedal to the metal. Some residents on Southard Street are worried about their safety and 39 signed a petition asking that four-way stop signs be installed at the intersections of Southard and Frances, Margaret and William streets.

“As impacted neighbors, we ask that the City of Key West consider taking steps to alleviate the ongoing dangerous high speed vehicular traffic on Southard Street from White Street to Simonton Street,” the petition stated. “Southard Street is the only residential east-west street that has no stop signs or traffic lights to control traffic and protect pedestrians and bicyclists.”

Commissioner Clayton Lopez said the same problem exists on United and South streets. He asked that those two streets be added to any traffic study done on Southard and that city staff give recommendations on how to make all three streets safer. The resolution passed unanimously.

But City Manager Jim Scholl said that any past traffic studies he has seen do not show chronic excessive speeding.

“A lot of the streets, even in Old Town, are 30 mph. In the state of Florida, that’s what the residential speed limit is,” he told commissioners.

Commissioner Margaret Romero said that taxi and pick-up truck drivers are primarily to blame for any speeding that does occur on Key West streets. She only half-jokingly suggested requiring taxi drivers to put a speed limiting device, called a “governor,” on their vehicles so they cannot go faster than 25 mph.

“We just need to get creative,” she said to laughter from the audience. “I told you they’re not going to like me so I better not need a cab.”

Commissioner Jimmy Weekley, who sponsored the Southard Street traffic study resolution, asked that temporary stop signs be installed at the corners of Margaret and Frances streets where they intersect Southard while the traffic study is done. He also said that speed bump risers are going to be installed on Caroline Street as part of a separate project. Those speed bumps might be a possible option on Southard Street to help calm traffic, he said.

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