Boston Councilor Questions Proposal for 40 km/h Speed Limit Reduction
Published in on April 4, 2024
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BOSTON – In response to a series of pedestrian incidents, Boston officials are considering further reducing the city’s speed limit from the current 40 km/h set back in 2017. South Boston Councilman Ed Flynn is calling for a hearing to address the possibility of lowering speed limits in residential areas, suggesting rates as low as 30 km/h or 25 km/h.
Flynn emphasizes the need for “strict enforcement” of speed limits, including an increased presence of Boston police officers to ticket speeding drivers. He asserts that 40 km/h is excessive for neighborhood streets and recalls his 2018 proposal for a reduced limit after a tragic event in South Boston, where a 2-year-old boy was fatally injured by a vehicle.
The push for a reduction of the speed limit is largely fueled by recent pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries within the city. March saw the death of a 4-year-old girl who was struck by a car in the vicinity of the Boston Children’s Museum. This was followed by two other pedestrian-involved accidents; a man in a wheelchair was killed by a cement truck, and another pedestrian incurred life-threatening injuries after being hit by a truck near South Station.
Residents and commuters are expressing mixed reactions to the idea of lowering speed limits. Andrea Harris, a Somerville resident who commutes to Boston, considers a lower speed limit a potential improvement to pedestrian safety.
Source: The Bharat Express News