Drivers in Boise now have just one default speed limit to adhere to if they aren’t familiar with the street they’re traveling on. That’s now 20 miles per hour citywide, instead of up to 30 miles per hour in certain cases.
Boise City Council member Jimmy Hallyburton voted for the change in the hopes of reducing traffic accidents.
“Although it is simply kind of a code cleanup, it does have the ability to have a larger impact and I think sends a clear message of the city’s willingness to find the right speed limits in neighborhoods that are safe for kids, for families, for people who are walking and biking,” Hallyburton said.
As of Dec. 8, city staff said seven people have died and 96 others have had serious injuries from traffic accidents in Boise this year. That includes an eight-year-old girl in November who was hit and killed by a driver in Boise’s North End.
City council member Meredith Stead says this change will hopefully make it less confusing for drivers.
“It is also then easily enforceable by our police department as well, which I know that we’ve heard a lot [on this] from constituents that they would like to see more of,” Stead said.
Council members unanimously agreed to the change, which takes effect immediately.
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