Plan on driving even slower on Bellevue's Main Street in a couple of weeks.
The City Council passed an ordinance Thursday, April 12, setting the maximum speed limit within the city to 25 miles per hour.
Currently, there are 35 mph zones at the north and south ends of Main Street (state Highway 75), as well as along Gannett Road. The speed limit is 25 mph on Main Street through the center of town.
Public Works Supervisor Rick Turner said the city plans to install a crosswalk on Main Street at the northern end of town, and that the present situation makes it dangerous to do so.
Bellevue Planning and Zoning Administrator Craig Eckles agreed. Drivers leaving town tend to rapidly accelerate once they see the 35 mph sign, which is shortly followed by a 45 mph sign, he said.
"It's human nature—when people see that sign, they hit the gas," Eckles said. "However, the city's goal is to make for better walkability."
Eckles will be talking with the Idaho Transportation Department to see if it will help make a smoother transition between the 45 and 25 mph zones.
In addition to the lowered maximum limit, Bellevue Marshal Tim Green asked that the speed limit around schools be set at 15 mph, rather than the current 20 mph. He noted that this is more or less a nationwide standard.
He hopes that the new limits will make drivers more conscientious about their speed, especially as the city is planning to create a Safe Routes to School program to encourage more children to walk or ride bicycles to school.
The change will be implemented over the next two to three weeks, Eckles said. In the meantime, the city will work closely with ITD to make sure citizens and commuters have time to become fully aware of the new ordinance.
This change, however, could rankle commuters who believe the speed limit through Bellevue is already too low and that a reduction will only lead to more speeding tickets.
Green said lowering the speed limit on Main Street has nothing to do with the number of tickets the city issues, which he believes will remain at a constant level.
"It will be the same—there will always be people who need to get somewhere in a hurry," Green said Tuesday. "But it's usually a reasonable speed over the limit before citations are issued."
He admitted that the lowered limit will likely irritate regular commuters who have to pass through Bellevue on a regular basis. However, like Eckles, Green believes people have the tendency to increase their speed the moment the 45 mph sign comes into view, creating a precarious situation for pedestrians attempting to maneuver to the other side of the road, especially at the north end of town.
"If you've ever tried to cross Main Street, it's like playing a game of Frogger," Green said. "You take your life into your own hands."
A new sign along Main Street in Bellevue informs drivers of the city?s new speed limit on the busy thoroughfare. Photo by Willy Cook
