Editor: Thanks for the fine article on Largo’s pedestrian safety campaign. The planned measures are excellent, but no mention is made of an inexpensive and highly effective measure: lower speed limits, especially on narrow roads where a limit of 30 mph is too high.
Right now a petition is circulating among Largo residents in the area south of Bonner Park, urgently requesting the City Commission to lower speed limits in that area, with many narrow roads, few sidewalks, and a great many pedestrians, to 25 mph. The residents who have signed so far feel very strongly that a limit as high as 30 mph is unsafe and inappropriate, and they hope that the commission will consider the merits of their request.
Their request is not addressed by the otherwise excellent speed studies carried out very thoroughly by Largo police, as these studies do not examine the appropriateness of 30 mph limits on specific roads.
No engineering studies would be needed as any driver in the area can see the type of roads.
Studies have shown that 10 percent of pedestrians hit by cars moving at 20 mph are likely to be fatally injured, but 90 percent of people hit by cars moving at 40 mph suffer fatal injuries.
Hopefully, the commission will give the merits of this petition careful consideration.
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