Richmond’s 9th District Councilman Michael Jones is asking the city to conduct a study about the possible effects of having a citywide maximum speed limit of 35 mph.
Jones said he’s concerned about the high rate of crashes in the city.
“On Warwick Road you’re allowed to go 40 mph, which is entirely too fast in my opinion. Then on the main corridor of Hull Street, it goes from 45 to 40 down to 35 mph,” Jones said.
On Hull Street alone, there have been more than 90 crashes so far this year.
Jones said he wants officials to prioritize their commitment to Vision Zero -- a worldwide effort to eliminate deaths and injuries on city streets.
“We must make roads safer for bicyclists. We must make our city walkable -- where we have sidewalks to make that happen,” Jones said.
The Land Use, Housing and Transportation Committee will review the request for an investigation into the city’s speed and traffic patterns during their September 17th meeting, where they’ll take public comment.
Earlier this year, the city’s Department of Public Works lowered the speed limit from 35 to 25 mph along stretches of Jefferson Davis Highway, Hull and Belvidere Streets.