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Okaloosa County BOCC — 2013 meeting #1182 (date undetermined) — Action Item Printout — reading text
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BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
DATE: December 3, 2013
TO: Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board
FROM: John Hofstad
SUBJECT: Old Bethel Road - Speed Limit Posting
DEPARTMENT: Public Works
BCC DISTRICT: One
STATEMENT OF ISSUE: Public Works has recently completed traffic speed studies as a
follow up to citizen requests regarding the posted speed limits on Old Bethel Road. Staff
believes that the speed limit postings should be adjusted based on the results of the data
collected.
BACKGROUND: The Public Works Department routinely collects speed and volume data on
various County roadways as a result of citizen requests, and annual monitoring to document
traffic and population growth. Following the collection of data, staff frequently revisits speed
limit postings for County roadways. In the case of Old Bethel Road, a collector road, the
roadway is significant enough to bring the proposed changes to the attention of the Board prior to
their implementation.
It is standard engineering practice to set speed limits at or below (within 5 mph of) the 85th
percentile speed on a roadway. Studies have shown that the 85th percentile speed reflects the
maximum safe speed for a given roadway with 85 percent of drivers traveling at or below that
speed generally without incident. It is often referred to as the natural speed limit for a roadway.
If the road is posted with a speed limit that is outside of the 5mph window, drivers will revert to
the 85th percentile natural speed for the roadway and substantial non-compliance with the posted
speed will result.
We believe that this is the case on portions of Old Bethel Road at this time. The attached
exhibits reflect the existing and recommended changes to the speed limit postings. In addition,
there will be advisory speed signs installed in curves or other hazard locations along the re-
posted roadway.
OPTIONS: Approve/Disapprove.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends approval of the reposting plan as proposed.
RECOMMENDED BY:
APPROVED BY:
Ernie Padgett, County Administrator