Watch your speedometer! Raleigh lowers downtown speed limit for pedestrian safety.
Speed limits will be lowered throughout downtown Raleigh.
Raleigh leaders agreed to the change Tuesday, wrapping up over two years of planning with the state.
The N.C. Department of Transportation was directed to work on improving pedestrian safety within downtown after a state employee was hit and killed in early 2019. Originally that work was narrowly focused around the state government complex, but most of downtown’s core was added in 2020.
Speeds will be lowered from 35 mph to 25 mph along with some lanes losing their dual turning movements, said Jed Niffenegger, Raleigh’s city traffic engineer.
The vote was unanimous at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, and the change takes effect Sept. 27. Signs will be installed starting next week, but it will likely take through October for all the new signs to be put up.
“It’s pretty simple,” said Council member Jonathan Melton. “Pedestrian safety increases when car speed decreases. And I’m really glad we are taking this step.
“We’ve got to make space for everybody,” he continued. “If you don’t have a car, if you don’t want to drive a car, we have to make it easier for people to get around whether walking, biking, on a scooter, wheelchair users. So I’m very excited about this.”
Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin called it a “good first step.”
“I think this is necessary and appropriate,” she said after the meeting. “As somebody who walks downtown a lot with my dogs. I’ve seen a number of close cases pf people almost getting hit. People not paying attention. They’re going too fast.”
Later in the year the council will also consider prohibiting people from turning right when the stoplights are red.
“It will be a huge improvement for pedestrians,” Niffenegger said. “The reason it will come at a later date is that it is a heavier lift, and we have to have a contractor do that work so we’re in that process.”
It cost about $300,000 to make the change, but the cost was covered by a federal grant with no local match, he said.
As for enforcement, Baldwin said the Raleigh Police Department will monitor the change.
“They’re not going to come out of the gate with radar or ticketing,” she said.
These streets or sections of streets are moving to 25 mph, according to the city.
- Blake Street, in its entirety
- Bloodworth Street, from Franklin Street to Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
- Blount Street from Peace Street to Hoke Street
- Cabarrus Street from Dorothea Drive to East Street
- Commerce Place, in its entirety
- Davie Street from 160 feet east of Harrington Street to East Street
- Dawson Street from Lane Street to South Street
- East Street, in its entirety
- Edenton Street from Hillsborough Street to East Street
- Ellington Street from South Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
- Fayetteville Street from Morgan Street to Lenoir Street
- Gale Street, in its entirety
- Glenwood Avenue from Peace Street to Morgan Street
- Hargett Street from West Street to Parrish Street
- Harrington Street, in its entirety
- Hillsborough Street from Glenwood Avenue to Salisbury Street
- Johnson Street from Glenwood Avenue to Capital Boulevard
- Jones Street from Glenwood Avenue to Hill Street
- Lane Street from Harrington Street to Hill Street
- Martin Street, in its entirety
- McDowell Street from Lane Street to South Street
- Morgan Street from Glenwood Avenue to Person Street
- Morson Street, in its entirety
- New Bern Avenue from Person Street to East Street
- New Bern Place, in its entirety
- North Street from Glenwood Avenue to Person Street
- Parham Street, in its entirety
- Peace Street from Glenwood Avenue to Person Street
- Pell Street, in its entirety
- Person Street from Peace Street to Hoke Street
- Polk Street, in its entirety
- Salisbury Street, in its entirety
- South Street, in its entirety
- Tucker Street from Glenwood Avenue to West Street
- West Street from Peace Street to South Street
- Wilmington Street from Peace Street to Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
- Wolfe Street, in its entirety
- Worth Street from Person Street to East Street
This story was originally published September 21, 2022 at 9:00 AM.
