Speed limits in much of Key West could lower to 20 mph if recommendation accepted

BY PRU SOWERS

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

Members of the Key West Parking and Alternative Transportation Group decided April 26 to recommend the most conservative of the speed limit options they were considering, voting to recommend that the default speed limit in the city be set to 20 miles per hour.

There would be pockets of higher speed limits allowed, including 30 mph on Palm Avenue and 25 mph on Eaton and Flagler streets and Truman Avenue. Some of those roads are owned and maintained by Monroe County but PAT Chairman Roger McVeigh said county officials would agree to speed change requests made by the city. And residential neighborhoods, many of which are already posted at 20 mph, would be able to petition for higher or lower speed limits. But unless posted otherwise, the speed limit in most of Key West will be set at 20 mph if city commissioners accept the group’s recommendation.

The seven-person citizens advisory group was created by city commissioners in 2017 to develop ways to reduce congestion on city streets. Their mission will sunset in June and several additional recommendations are expected to be approved by the group and sent on to commissioners before then. But the speed limit reduction could have the most impact, as many residents already chafe at the slow road speeds caused by congested roads during the winter tourist season. Indeed, some members of PAT wanted the default speed limit set at 25 mph. PAT member Wally Moore originally made a motion making that recommendation, arguing against the 20-mph option.

“By slowing things down, we’re congesting it even more, in my opinion,” he said at PAT’s Aug 26 meeting.

“It’s hard to go 20 miles per hour,” agreed PAT member Dana Day. “It’s making the whole city a school zone. It feels awkward to me.”

But PAT member Eric Detwiler pointed out that studies show people usually drive seven to 10 miles over a posted speed limit. Setting it at 25 mph means some people would be driving at unsafe speeds in residential neighborhoods, he said.

“There’s going to be a serious accident. They’re only going to be going four to five miles over the [25 mph] speed limit but they will be over the speed limit,” Detwiler predicted

But Chair McVeigh said it was “crazy” to go any higher than 20 mph, particularly because of the numerous hazards on Key West streets, including oblivious tourists, scooters darting out and difficult sightlines caused by cars parked along the roadways.

“Our city is very, very unsafe for bicycles and pedestrians,” McVeigh said. “If we are able to slow traffic, there will be more bicyclists on the road.”

City Commissioners may agree with the 20 mph when it comes before them. In 2012, the commission voted to set the default speed limit to 20 but never put the ordinance into effect, deciding to wait until a traffic study was completed. Since then, there have been repeated traffic studies, all showing that Key West is one of the most dangerous cities in Florida in terms of pedestrian/car accidents.

PAT will hold its second and final public workshop on Thursday, May 10, at 5 pm in City Hall to hear public input on a variety of potential recommendations on how to increase parking and decrease traffic congestion in Key West. Some of the plans PAT members said they will discuss at the May 10 workshop include truck delivery routes in Old Town, new parking plans that will increase the number of residential spots to as much as 50 percent per block in residential areas, forcing scooters to park only in scooter-designated areas, and implementing car and bike-sharing programs.

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