Speed limit increase fails to gain approval

The speed limit will remain at 30 mph on a stretch of Park Boulevard in eastern Plano after the city council deadlocked 3-3 on a proposed 5 mph increase.

The stretch of road in question runs from Los Rios Boulevard to K Avenue.

The vote came after three residents of East Park Boulevard spoke against the proposal, citing the number of children who live along the street and the presence of homes that have front-entry driveways as reasons to turn down the proposal.

"The traffic moves very rapidly from Avenue K to Los Rios with the current 30 mph speed limit," Marilyn Brooks told the council. "I drive that and have driven that for 42 years, but I drive it all the time. I drive at night, I drive in the early evening, when people are going to work and when people are coming home. I don't have any problem or see any problem with the traffic moving with the 30 mph speed limit."

Vicki Young echoed Brooks' comments, saying this was a residential neighborhood that would be made unsafe if the speed limit was increased. Richard M. Phillips, Sr. said one of his problems with the increase is that if you allow people to travel 35 mph, many will travel 5-10 mph above the posted limit without fear of receiving a ticket.

The proposal came about after a motorist received a speeding ticket and complained to the public works department that the speed limit was too low on that stretch of road.

"The public works department, specifically the traffic and engineering division, was requested by a resident to do a speed study in this area," said Gerald Cosgrove, the city's public works director. "This is an area we have gotten constant complaints on that the speed limit was artificially low."

Cosgrove said his department had no problem with a 35 mph speed limit, saying it would be justified on this stretch of road. After the vote, Cosgrove requested the council take a second look at raising the limit on a shorter stretch of Park, from Shiloh Road to the eastern city limits, an area where there are no front-entry driveways.

Councilmembers Pat Miner, Jim Duggan and Pat Gallagher voted in favor of the increase, while Lee Dunlap, Lissa Smith and Ben Harris voted against it. Mayor Phil Dyer and councilwoman André Davidson were absent.

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