Speed limits are set by an engineer who observes real-world conditions and the speed at which 85% of drivers are driving.

Merritt Boulevard in Fishkill, New York is a through street owned by the village (to the west) and the town (to the east). The 30 mph limit on the road is completely out of synch with the actual flow of traffic. That causes animosity toward traffic laws, aggressive driving, poor traffic flow, and complete disregard for low speed limits where they actually are justified.

A FOIA request showed that no speed survey was conducted. The Pagones administration refused to address the problem, and on March 19, 2012, the Village declined a motion to increase the limit, despite a wealth of benefits presented.

Long story short, the Town needs the DOT's permission to change the limit, while the Village does not. The Town should have the DOT run a survey and post the new limit. The Village should follow suit, using the DOT's findings from the Town.

It is true that crashes are less severe at lower speeds, but the frequency of those crashes is reduced when traffic flows uniformly. Speed limits are an engineering matter, not a political one.

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