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Guidelines for Determining Speed Limits on Municipal Roadways

Status:  Complete
Report Date:  04/11/2023

Summary:

State law changed in 2019 to allow municipalities to set their own speed limits for city-owned roads. The standard speed limit for Minnesota city streets was previously 30 miles per hour. Agencies need a documented process that can be followed to conduct their own study prior to requesting an official speed zone study from MnDOT. MnDOT State Aid is facilitating a statewide conversation to develop a unified, system-wide approach for setting speed limits. This project will assist that effort by creating a quick reference guide for setting speeds on local roads and answering some questions related to the changes in state law. Another LRRB study, Impact of Speed Limit Changes on Urban Streets, is evaluating the impact of new speed limits on driver behavior in locations where they have been enacted and developing guidance for cities and counties on when speed limit changes are likely to achieve their desired effect.

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