Evaluation of Driver Speeds After Implementation of Speed Limit Reduction on Urban Streets

In 2019, the Minnesota Legislature passed a law which reduced the barriers for cities to systematically reduce speed limits. In the City of St. Louis Park, traffic speeds were collected in advance of urban speed limit reductions (2021). In 2022, speed data was collected on streets where the speed limit was reduced and where the speed limit was unchanged with modest reductions noted. Theoretically, driver behavior is habitual, and it is anticipated that greater reductions will be experienced over time suggesting repeat traffic speed monitoring and assessment in three to five years after implementation (2025 to 2027). Many advocates persistently state that lowering speed limits will result in lower operating speeds, if just given enough time for a cultural shift on roadways. This study would follow up on those impacts. The first research found little to no impact with the lowering of speed limits. This study would examine if those changes occurred over a longer period (2-4 years later). The goal of this research is to follow up on the earlier research, survey which Minnesota agencies have lowered speed limits, gather data on what changes have been seen (measured and anecdotal), where needed, collect “after” speed data, analyze and identify the best practices answering some of the questions posed by local agencies. From these questions, this research will ascertain how effective speed limit reductions are, with and without accompanying treatments.

• Record URL:
  • https://researchprojects.dot.state.mn.us/projectpages/details?id=30636&type=CONTRACT

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $167,003.52
• Contract Numbers:

  1058802

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Local Road Research Board

  395 John Ireland Boulevard
  St. Paul, Minnesota  United States  55155-1899

  Minnesota Department of Transportation

  395 John Ireland Boulevard
  St Paul, MN  United States  55155
• Managing Organizations:

  Minnesota Department of Transportation

  Office of Research & Innovation
  395 John Ireland Boulevard, MS 330
  St. Paul, MN  United States  55155-1899
• Performing Organizations:

  Michigan State University, East Lansing

  East Lansing, MI  United States  48824
• Principal Investigators:

  Savolainen, Peter

• Start Date: 20250625
• Expected Completion Date: 20270630
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Driving behavior; Speed control; Speed limits; Streets; Traffic speed; Urban areas
• Geographic Terms: Minnesota
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01961155
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Minnesota Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: 1058802
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jul 18 2025 10:39AM