Cape councilman looks to lower speed limit in neighborhoods

CAPE CORAL, Fla.- A city councilman wants to lower the speed limit in all residential neighborhoods saying it will make roads safer.

The current speed limit in residential areas is 30 miles per hour. Councilman Jim Burch wants to lower it to 25.

Two years ago the City of Fort Myers lowered the speed limit in all residential neighborhoods from 30 miles per hour to 25, now Burch wants to follow suit.

“I’ve talked to their officials over there and they all say ‘We’re so glad we did it.'”

Burch says lowering the speed limit will make the roads safer.

According to the Florida Department of Transportation, pedestrians are five times more likely to die if they get hit by a car going 30 miles an hour compared to a vehicle traveling at 20 miles per hour.

“Anything we can do to try to mitigate that problem between pedestrians and bicycles and automobiles is always a good thing to do,” said Burch.

“Definitely, it’s a residential area, I mean there’s kids walking around the streets so I think it’s a good idea,” said Moenander.

A city spokesperson tells WINK News there are currently 898 signs reading 30 miles per hour throughout Cape Coral. Replacing those signs would cost roughly $107,000 in taxpayer money.

“If it costs me $100,000 to change that many signs, then I’m willing to pay that kind of money for it if that’s what it costs,” said Burch. “That’s a pretty cheap fix to me.

“I don’t think it would be a necessary change. I think from a financial standpoint, $107,000 or thereabouts could be spent on other things,” said resident John Masters.

Burch says the City Transportation Advisory Committee will be going over this proposal in more detail in a few weeks.

The committee will decide if it goes before the council who could then vote on it by the beginning of 2015.