The Berlin Mayor and Council have unanimously approved a motion to reduce the speed limit from 30 to 25 mph on a stretch of Flower Street from the intersection of Seahawk Road to the corporate, municipal limits.
Flower Street in Berlin is pictured.
File photo
By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer
A motion to reduce the speed limit from 30 to 25 mph on the stretch of Flower Street from the intersection of Seahawk Road to the corporate, municipal limit unanimously passed at the Monday, July 8 meeting of the Berlin Mayor and Council.
“We are coming before the council to have … the only part of Flower Street that is not 25 to be switched from 30 to 25,” Berlin Chief of Police Arnold Downing said. “That area consists of the stop sign from Seahawk Road to the town limits, which is at the end of the back of Stephen Decatur Middle School.”
The council also agreed to write to the Worcester County Commissioners asking that the speed limit on the portion of Flower Street that remains outside Berlin’s jurisdiction be reduced from 25 to 30 miles per hour.
“I think this is phenomenal, changing the speed limit to 25 mph,” councilmember Shaneka Nichols said. “I will say this, and I know it is outside of our jurisdiction, but I would like the entire length of Flower Street to be in that 25 zone…For consistency and safety for all of Flower Street, I would also love to see that county portion be 25 mph.”
Nichols argued that the goal is to train drivers to slow down.
“I advocate for a 25 miles per hour speed limit and speed cameras because I can tell you to slow down all day long, but until it hits you where it hurts, your pocketbook, you are not going to slow down,” she continued. “As I sit on my front porch, you can hear engines rev back up once cars pass the speed camera.”
Berlin resident Jayden Johnstone proposed that the town reduce the speed limit in the determined area and add a sidewalk to increase safety.
“I like the idea of having a whole walkable community, and right now, it is too dangerous,” he said.
Mayor Zack Tyndall said that Berlin did receive a federal grant to evaluate pedestrian and bicycle traffic. While the funds have yet to be acquired, there are plans to survey where sidewalks are needed.
For now, Berlin is focused on speed safety. The body voted unanimously to reduce the limit from Seahawk Road to the town line from 30 to 25 miles per hour and send a letter to the commissioners requesting that the Worcester County-owned stretch be decreased.
“I don’t want anyone to think that this is a ploy by the Town of Berlin to fatten our pockets,” Nichols said. “That is not what this is about. What this is about is point-blank safety. There is no reason for anybody to drive on a 25 mph two-lane street where the houses are kissing the street to be driving 55 and 60 mph, which happens down Flower Street every day.”