The El Dorado City Commission has been discussing the 50 mile an hour speed limit on North Main for some time now. Mayor Tom McKibban brought up the issue because he says he is concerned about safety issues, especially for residents who live along North Main and high school students who have to turn out onto Main Street.
His concern is vehicles are not slowing down enough and creating a dangerous driving environment. But where is the proof of that?
At the City Commission’s request, the city did a traffic study of that area. They found speeds were right in line with the posted speed limits. In addition, 80 percent were below the posted speed limit.
Yes, only a mile or two below, but they definitely weren’t speeding.
It’s also been pointed out there has not been any serious accidents there. According to the police department, there have only been about three accidents in the last three years at Main and McCollum.
I turn onto Main from McCollum every day going to work, and return home that way every night.
For the most part, I don’t see anyone speeding. As for the semis on that stretch of road, I pass most of them just going the speed limit because it takes them a while to speed up from the stop light at Main and 12th Avenue. They don’t pass me until I have to slow down to turn.
Coming into town in the mornings, when I do see semis at 7:45 a.m., which aren’t many, they appear to be going close to the speed limit.
The mayor has voiced concerns several times about semis going 65 miles an hour or more in the 50 zone.
I’m sure there are the occasional vehicles that are speeding, I see them other places too, especially on West Central in the 25 and 30 mile an hour zones. People pass me there all of the time when I’m driving the speed limit.
But if someone is driving 65 in a 50 mile an hour zone, that’s not a problem of the speed limit being too high, that’s the driver not obeying the law at all and then it becomes an enforcement issue, not a speed limit issue. Lowering the speed limit is not going to solve this problem.
Don’t punish those who live on the north end of town. Leave the speed limits alone.
El Dorado, Kan. —
