MIAMI.– In a move that could transform the way drivers navigate streets in residential areas and around parks in Miami-DadeCounty Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera presented a resolution that seeks to reduce the limit of speed at 25 miles per hour (mph) in those areas.
The initiative, which will be discussed at the Commission County Council on April 2, directs Mayor Daniella Levine Cava or her designee to conduct a study on the “reasonableness and feasibility” of implementing this change in the Unincorporated Municipal Service Area (“UMSA”) and in county roads that border parks and recreation centers.
Commissioner Cabrera speaks
Cabrera explained to DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS that the rule would only apply in areas of Miami-Dade that are listed as “unincorporated,” that is, they do not belong to a specific city within the jurisdiction of the county.
The legislator from district 6 gave as an example that The municipalities of Miami, Coral Gables and West Miami, based on previous studies, set the speed limit at 25 mph in residential sectors and adjacent to parks.
“West Miami is a good example because a driver can go 25 mph and just one block away, in what is the County, they can encounter a speed limit of 35 mph,” he commented. “This is somewhat illogical.”
What the statutes say
According to Florida statutes, “a county or municipality may establish a maximum speed limit of 20 or 25 miles per hour on local streets and highways after an investigation determines that such limit is reasonable.”
Additionally, the state standard states that “on all streets or highways, the maximum speed limits for all vehicles shall be 30 miles per hour in commercial or residential districts.”
In other states such as California, the speed of vehicles cannot exceed 25 mph. in commercial and residential areas of counties and cities. In Kansas the authorized limit is 30 mph.
Worry
The measure underway in Miami-Dade takes into account a growing concern about the speed of vehicles traveling through residential neighborhoods, which, in the opinion of Commissioner Cabrera, “represents a potential risk to the lives of our residents. “This is to save lives.”
The County’s study, which must be submitted within 120 days of the resolution’s eventual approval, would include a detailed analysis of current speed limits and how the proposal would affect the community and pedestrian safety.
In addition, it proposes to evaluate the conformity of the measure with the regulations and criteria of the Florida Department of Transportation.
Steps to follow
According to the sponsor of the proposal, “this is a first step, then comes the study that the County must do and later we will present a draft ordinance that must be voted on by all commissioners.”
He noted that “the objective is to guarantee that our communities are safer for everyone, especially our children and elderly”.
Cabrera made it clear that the measure would only involve residential areas and where there are parks or recreational centers. “This is not for main roads.”
