Pictures of the recently installed school speed zone signs on Energy Park Drive and Pierce Butler Route near College Prep Elementary and Great River School are posted below.
I will be contacting the Western District of the Saint Paul Police Department to ask for speed zone enforcement in the next two weeks and in early January to help frequent drivers on these roads to become more aware of the new limits. Of course, their availability is dependent on other activities in the district.
Here's some helpful background info:
The relationship between vehicle travel speeds and resulting pedestrian injury was reviewed in the literature and in existing data sets. Results indicated that higher vehicle speeds are strongly associated with both a greater likelihood of pedestrian crash occurrence and more serious resulting pedestrian injury. It was estimated that only 5 percent of pedestrians would die when struck by a vehicle traveling at 20 miles per hour or less. This compares with fatality rates of 40, 80, and nearly 100 percent for striking speeds of 30, 40, and 50 miles per hour or more respectively. Reductions in vehicle travel speeds can be achieved through lowered speed limits, police enforcement of speed limits, and associated public information.
(From a 1999 study. It's a little dated, but I don't think that is problematic in this type of study. http://www.nhtsa.gov/
Many thanks to Community Design Group for writing the SRTS plan and Ramsey County for approving and installing the signs.
Note from Great River School: Many thanks to Susan for all your work on this important safety issue!!
