Speed Limit Changes in Sumter County

[zcaveman]

I just received this in my CDD4 newsletter:

Reduction in speed limits in Sumter County by mid-January

The Sumter County passed an ordinance in July to make the speed limit on all Villages roads with Sumter County 20 mph, unless otherwise posted.

There will be signage postings around the periphery of the Villages advising motorist that 20 mph is the speed limit in the Sumter County portion of the Villages unless otherwise posted. Expect seeing such a sign posted on the South bound lane of Buena Vista Blvd. just as you enter Sumter County. Buena Vista and El Camino Real will remain posted at 35 mph in Sumter County. Remember at this time, on Morse Blvd, North of CR 466 the speed is 30 mph and South of CR 466 it is 35 mph.

In CDD1 speed limits on four roadways will be reduced from 25 mph to 20 mph. They are Palo Alto Avenue, Soledad Way, Narvarro Court, and Carrera Drive.

In CDD2 four roadways will be reduced from 30 mph to 15 mph. They are Merida Circle, Tamarindo Drive, Salido Avenue, and Zargoza Place.

In CDD3 remember that Oak Forest Drive will be reduced from 25 mph to 20 mph.

Remember Sumter County Sheriff's Deputies do give tickets for speeding

[Irishmen]

20 miles and hour is same as school zones where we moved down from.

[memason]

I suppose the change is to make it safer for cart drivers, but I have this overwhelming feeling that it will just generate income for Sumter county in speeding fines. 20mph is SLOW, SLOW, SLOW. TOO SLOW! I literally have to manually down shift my automatic transmission to stay at 20mph. Try going 10mph around Spanish Springs.

I'll bet you never see a police car going 20mph on any of these streets...

Just my opinion, but slow is not always safer.

[villages07]

I believe, but, can't vouch for sure...that major through roads like Canal, Bailey, O'Dell, St Charles, Belvedere, etc will remain 30mph.

The main purpose of this change is to make neighborhood streets a consistent 20mph. From Bridgeport/LS south, neighborhood streets are an unreasonable 15 mph; North of BLS they are 25 which is probably too fast. This inconsistency between neighborhoods is what needs to be fixed. Villas are and will remain 10.

[paulandjean]

Maybe we should start a discussion with the village higher ups, about changing the speed on the trails to 10 m.p.h. Seems this would please a lot of folks.

[Taj44]

I suppose the change is to make it safer for cart drivers, but I have this overwhelming feeling that it will just generate income for Sumter county in speeding fines. 20mph is SLOW, SLOW, SLOW. TOO SLOW! I literally have to manually down shift my automatic transmission to stay at 20mph. Try going 10mph around Spanish Springs.

I'll bet you never see a police car going 20mph on any of these streets...

Just my opinion, but slow is not always safer.

Good points. In fact, traffic engineering studies show that slow can be more unsafe.

[getdul981]

Good points. In fact, traffic engineering studies show that slow can be more unsafe.

Following that logic, standing still s deadly. The reason slow might be more unsafe is too many people believe the speed limits don't apply to them.

[rhredd1654]

Does this apply to the contractors as well, or only to Villagers and guests?

[memason]

Following that logic, standing still s deadly. The reason slow might be more unsafe is too many people believe the speed limits don't apply to them.

No, the reason too slow is unsafe is because people think they can talk on the phone, put on makeup, scratch their a**, pick their nose, eat, read the newspaper; just about anything while they're driving.

Just saying....

[getdul981]

Speed has nothing to do with people doing these activities.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

No, the reason too slow is unsafe is because people think they can talk on the phone, put on makeup, scratch their a**, pick their nose, eat, read the newspaper; just about anything while they're driving.....

Thanks for the visual!! :a20:

And a couple you forgot -

.............'post on TOTV'............ :posting:
.............'eat popcorn'............. :popcorn:

Bill :wave:

[Taj44]

Following that logic, standing still s deadly. The reason slow might be more unsafe is too many people believe the speed limits don't apply to them.

funny, not. If a speed limit is put in place that is lower than the 85th percentile speed (the speed at which 85% of the vehicles are traveling), you will have some vehicles that continue to go the higher speed because it feels right for the conditions; you'll have some that go the speed limit, because it is the speed limit; and you'll have some that do a little of both i.e. go faster if they think they won't get caught. This disparity in speeds has been documented as an accident hazard in itself. I don't know about Florida, but in NY the speed limits are set by NYS Traffic Engineers (which I used to be) in conjunction with the NYS police. Very definitive criteria must be met. The only criteria I see here is the interaction with golf carts, which frankly, is a unique issue in its own right. I'm not convinced that an area-wide 20mph speed limit is justified simply based on the presence of golf carts. They have their own lanes - the only potential conflict with vehicles seems to be at the gates, or if they get out in traffic and change lanes.

[Indydealmaker]

Following that logic, standing still s deadly. The reason slow might be more unsafe is too many people believe the speed limits don't apply to them.

:agree:

[rubicon]

This new speed limit may create a reason for more of us to walk. Just don't walk over 20 mph you may get a ticket. It seems the police around here are obsessed with the number 20. Thankfully its not 10:wave:

[Loveithere]

I still say speed don't kill, stupidity kills. Thousands of jets in the sky at any given moment going the speed of sound (?) and they do not collide.

[REDCART]

Does this apply to the contractors as well, or only to Villagers and guests?

I also was under the impression that "locals" skated on speeding tickets but several local contractors have commented that Sumter County cops don't cut them any slack at all. They're under the impression that they're specifically targeted. Is there any consolation in knowing that our cops are equal opportunity enforcers? The AAA tow truck operator was the last one to tell us that he got a speeding ticket on Buena Vista on the way over.

[Indydealmaker]

I still say speed don't kill, stupidity kills. Thousands of jets in the sky at any given moment going the speed of sound (?) and they do not collide.

Speed does not necessarily cause the accident, but speed definitely makes an accident more deadly. Since "stupidity" and "competency" is indisputedly rampant (just a casual observation of drivers in general will bear this out), the enforcement of speed laws can at least make the inevitable accidents less tragic. Too bad laws against stupdidity and incompetency can't be enforced.

[rubicon]

Speed does not necessarily cause the accident, but speed definitely makes an accident more deadly. Since "stupidity" and "competency" is indisputedly rampant (just a casual observation of drivers in general will bear this out), the enforcement of speed laws can at least make the inevitable accidents less tragic. Too bad laws against stupdidity and incompetency can't be enforced.

Please define speed? please give me facts of the type injuries sustained in a golf cart going 19mph and one going 21-25? Cars are awarded on their safety. so is an incomptent a person who doesn't buy the car rated as the safest? The 20mph limit will be difficult many cars idle faster than that. so do we have a red light camera gimmick working here? Many states are outlawing these cameras. If there were laws against incometency and stupidity I am sure the police departments will have their fair share of offenders.

This is such a consolidate community that any action by the place always reverbrates throughout the community. It is getting so crowded here that irrespective of new or old speed limits with bumper to bumper traffic on the roads and golf cart paths people will be lucky to be moving at 15mph.

I'm not against safety and I'm not against speed limits but I wonder how those in authority settle on 20mph?

I will agree that it will help in those situation where I am seeing far too many golf cart drivers in the m iddle or on the wron g side of the cart path. I live here all year and the only time this occurs is when seasonal residents return.

[Indydealmaker]

Please define speed? please give me facts of the type injuries sustained in a golf cart going 19mph and one going 21-25? Cars are awarded on their safety. so is an incomptent a person who doesn't buy the car rated as the safest? The 20mph limit will be difficult many cars idle faster than that. so do we have a red light camera gimmick working here? Many states are outlawing these cameras. If there were laws against incometency and stupidity I am sure the police departments will have their fair share of offenders.

This is such a consolidate community that any action by the place always reverbrates throughout the community. It is getting so crowded here that irrespective of new or old speed limits with bumper to bumper traffic on the roads and golf cart paths people will be lucky to be moving at 15mph.

I'm not against safety and I'm not against speed limits but I wonder how those in authority settle on 20mph?

I will agree that it will help in those situation where I am seeing far too many golf cart drivers in the m iddle or on the wron g side of the cart path. I live here all year and the only time this occurs is when seasonal residents return.

If by "define speed" you mean define the point where a given speed is too fast, then I assume you must ask this question regarding all rules and regulations (not an unreasonable question, albeit contrarian). We are a society that has chosen to live by laws and in any given instance those laws are to be obeyed until they are changed.

Red light cameras are most often disallowed by spineless local politicians choosing votes and cost savings over law enforcement and safety. How in the hell can anybody say red light cameras are unfair when they only punish those that willingly break a law while endangering lives?

The point here is that it does not matter whether the speed limit is more reasonable at one point or another, or too inconvenient. What matters is that it is the law until "legally changed"; not until "ignored".

We used to tell our kids: "Better Safe Than Sorry".

[Loveithere]

So, in a free society, do people here really want camera's everywhere? Do you realize that someone will get a ticket for running a red light when there are no other cars in sight?

[Indydealmaker]

So, in a free society, do people here really want camera's everywhere? Do you realize that someone will get a ticket for running a red light when there are no other cars in sight?

Are you asking, if under our system of laws and standards of behavior, it is OK to ignore the law if, in your opinion, there is no risk?

A free society is a society where people shall have the right to exercise unlimited freedom in their own lives, freedom to live in whatever manner they choose, freedom to pursue their own goals, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal rights of others to do the same. Government's only role is to secure each individual's rights, as Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence

The rub comes in here when your exercise of your rights exposes others to unreasonable restrictions on their individual rights to freedom. I can see where one could judge that unnecessarily risking others lives could be considered a significant infringement upon freedom.

[Loveithere]

Are you asking, if under our system of laws and standards of behavior, it is OK to ignore the law if, in your opinion, there is no risk?

A free society is a society where people shall have the right to exercise unlimited freedom in their own lives, freedom to live in whatever manner they choose, freedom to pursue their own goals, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal rights of others to do the same. Government's only role is to secure each individual's rights, as Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence

The rub comes in here when your exercise of your rights exposes others to unreasonable restrictions on their individual rights to freedom. I can see where one could judge that unnecessarily risking others lives could be considered a significant infringement upon freedom.
Well, how much did Jefferson know about cameras at intersections? The founding father's were very cautious about big government. That's why they fought the British and established a Constitution to protect citizens from an over-powering and arrogant government. The people run the show...not the government. Video cameras are the equivalent of Big Brother. They are also being outlawed in court cases across America.

[CarGuys]

Why are you here Sir? Well your Honor I would like to turn myself in!

You see I can't sleep well. 45 years ago I did not get caught however I was speeding in my Dad's car. Burning tires and acting like a idiot!

So I would not only like a ticket but can you add some more points surcharges fines and how about a nice 5 year insurance increase please!

I feel so much better now!

Normal people will be just fine, People with attitudes speeding maybe driving a little to drunk and acting with poor judgement day after day after day will pay the price. Right or Wrong?

:oops::oops:

[sklarson]

Just say "I'm sorry officer, my foot slipped of the brake"

[Tim Ringler]

This is about the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. No, this is about $$$$$.

[Tim Ringler]

Of course not, Sumter County law inforcement is above the law.

[Tim Ringler]

Very wrong ---- it will be "search for the guilty, and punish the innocent".

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Tim, not sure which specific posts you are referencing.

Bill :)

[Tom Hannon]

I suppose the change is to make it safer for cart drivers, but I have this overwhelming feeling that it will just generate income for Sumter county in speeding fines. 20mph is SLOW, SLOW, SLOW. TOO SLOW! I literally have to manually down shift my automatic transmission to stay at 20mph. Try going 10mph around Spanish Springs.

I'll bet you never see a police car going 20mph on any of these streets...

Just my opinion, but slow is not always safer.

I agree with Mike, 200%. Too slow is not safe. I will never get my Mini Cooper out of second gear

[Jim 9922]

This is about the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. No, this is about $$$$$.

In the Daily Sun today, chief bozo is bragging about "adding" 4 more cops to "enforce" the new law. To my knowledge we haven't run over too many people, carts or little dogs on the side streets in the recent past. Please, I don't need to be 100 % bubble wrapped.
Tell me its not about more money!!

[graciegirl]

..;

[taurusjds]

This is all quite insane and it will be a County revenue enhancer - for sure. We all know the difficulty of driving a modern vehicle at 20 MPH with the five or six speed automatic transmission that is in these cars . By the time they automatically shift - you are exceeding this speed limit of 20 MPH (braking for school zones as we typically have to to control the speed) and further proof is on our residential side streets where 15 MPH is impossible to hold by most cars.
Who are these county commissioners who are granted this arbitrary authority for inane decisions. Street legal carts will be more vulnerable to incidents as they mingle with cars going the same speed -- where prior they stayed off some of these roads due to the higher speed limit afforded cars.
This will prove to be a bad decision by the county and more importantly affect life style here in The Villages relative to our transportation needs and mobility.

[samhass]

I make it a point to never exceed the 35 MPH limit in The Vilages. I just don't do it. 20 MPH will probably make a speeder out of me. Who can go 20 MPH for any length of time? I agree..this is a cash cow. :cus:

[paulandjean]

Cash Cow for the County.Driving 466 one morning at 3a.m. Never saw so many police cars. Yes radar by the High School.Interesting though they would follow cars if they turned off of 466. The police followed very close,a little bit to close. I could see if someone made a driving mistake,that early and that close.

[Cliff]

I'll say the truth and tell you that lowering the speed limit is not about getting fine money. It is because there are MANY drivers in The Villages who never pay attention to speed limits and speed through residential streets. For years I have been complaining about speeders on my street and all I get is grief from people who think they have a right to drive 50mph on a 25mph residential street. I've been sworn at, given the fickle finger, and been threatened with bodily damage. Well, now I get my revenge. Carts do 19 (if not souped up) so that makes it that automobiles will have to give up the habit of driving 40 or 50 in order to pass a line of carts. What a shame. If the law wants to set up a permanent speed trap on my street, God bless the law. If I can drive 20mph on my street, others can do the same. If your hot rods can't drive at 20mph, there is an alternative. Don't use our residential streets. Instead, use the roads with higher speed limits. If you are intent on killing someone, join the military.

[Jim 9922]

Another question to answer ----
If this is such a good idea why was it not applied to the whole County and all of its cities and side roads???
Or maybe it is just people over 60 that need to be "protected" from themselves and can't be trusted to behave in a reasonably safe manner among themselves. Sort of an insult to us old folks, if you ask me.
:cus:

[Cliff]

Not protected from themselves, protected from others who do not believe in obeying the law. This place has some of the worst drivers and they are the most vocal in objecting to the lowered speed limits on residential streets.

[Shimpy]

This IS a way of increasing revenue. I just read a good article on how cities, county's and police Dept's do this in addition to unreasonable speed limits. Using fake construction zones and workers(actually cops) clocking cars and radioing ahead. Of course the fines are doubled. The one that gets me is shortening yellow lights to catch cars going through red. Studies show that in some intersections the accidents were up 300%, but ignored by the cities because revenues were hugh.
Union City, Calif was caught trapping motorist with a yellow signal 1.3 seconds below the minimum established by state law.. As a result the city was forced to refund more than $1 million in fines. Why wasn't the city fined for breaking the law?
Don't think for a moment that all this is done for public safety.

[Virtual Geezer]

Don't forget the profiling. About a week and a half ago the county had a speed trap set up in the usual BV spot by the entrance to Bridgeport of LS. I had pulled over to check out the Palmer gator. A large delivery van pulled out of the traffic circle heading south and was well over the 35 mph limit. He knew he had been caught and even pulled over to get his ticket. The sheriff waved him on and flagged over the guy driving behind him. The truck was going a lot faster than the car and was even pulling away from the car. Splain that one.

Also how ofter do you see construction / contractors type trucks being stopped on say 466a? I never have but have seen a lot of cars pulled over. Easy pickings and will not effect the drivers employment record.

VG

[superbat]

I don't hardly see any change. The 20 MPH is in the residential streets only. Our village has had a 15 MPH since we moved her 6 years ago, it appears that it will go up to 20 MPH.

[Cliff]

Superbat. The speed limit will increase to 20mph only if they take down the 15mph signs on your street. Otherwise, it stays at 15mph.

[army one]

Apparently, there are many of you who are not reading the sign. It reads 20 mph unless otherwise posted. Where the posted sign reads 15 mph limit, that is what the speed limit is. Where it reads 35 mph limit, that is the speed limit. What is so difficult? Unless otherwise posted is just what the sign means, there is no other way it can be to interpreted. Are there that many people on this forum who can't understand this simple statement?:shrug:

[superbat]

I made an assumption that the 15 MPH sign would be removed. I should have not done that.

[English Ivy]

Apparently, there are many of you who are not reading the sign. It reads 20 mph unless otherwise posted. Where the posted sign reads 15 mph limit, that is what the speed limit is. Where it reads 35 mph limit, that is the speed limit. What is so difficult? Unless otherwise posted is just what the sign means, there is no other way it can be to interpreted. Are there that many people on this forum who can't understand this simple statement?:shrug:

Thank you Army One for stating the obvious. If you were to believe many of the people posting here you'd think every road in The Villages was going to be changed to 20 mph and we were not allowed to go any faster than that. Everyone needs to take the time to thoroughly read the article in today's paper.

[bevlaur]

Agree with army guy - and how long are you driving on local streets posted or not at 20 mph!! It's not like it is a trip to Ocala or Orlando. Come on people, just allow yourself a little more time to get where you are going as you will have to do in any case, when all the snowbirds get here very shortly.

[Figmo Bohica]

What is really needed to clear all this up is a speed limit sign posted at the start of all roads that are 20 MPH roads. Some roads that I have been on have no signs posted for miles and they are not 20 MPH roads. Florida seems to find it not necessary to post speed limit signs all that often as do other states. Come on, put up a few more signs, take the guess work out of the drivers mind.

[The Villager II]

Who to I talk to about getting my money back for having my elec cart souped up to stay with the gas carts. It cost me 900 dollars to go from 18 MPH to 22 MPH. Lets see, 900 dollars divided by 27 dollars (the cost of Makers Mark) would have bought me 33 bottles of Bourbon.

[DDoug]

I must laugh all the street legal carts that will probably come up for sale. Why pay insurance and tags if you really don't have all that many place you can drive over 20. And the other thing is who came up with this and why. The county must need more income.

[coralway]

No, the reason too slow is unsafe is because people think they can talk on the phone, put on makeup, scratch their a**, pick their nose, eat, read the newspaper; just about anything while they're driving.

Just saying....




And when someone gets ticketed for doing something like that while driving, they complain their constitutional rights are being violated and then we hear all of these "I wish government would get out of our lives" posts.

[cappyjon431]

I must laugh all the street legal carts that will probably come up for sale. Why pay insurance and tags if you really don't have all that many place you can drive over 20. And the other thing is who came up with this and why. The county must need more income.

I know I'll happily be keeping my street legal cart--I can still ride on the street on Buena Vista, Morse, El Camino Real, etc. and can still cross 441 at any light and cross Rolling Acres to access shopping/dining to the south. For me street legal works.

The posted speed limit in my neighborhood is 10 mph in the residential areas and I have no trouble complying with that speed limit. I have no problem complying with 20 mph in the new areas--it certainly wouldn't send me off to sell my cart.

[English Ivy]

I must laugh all the street legal carts that will probably come up for sale. Why pay insurance and tags if you really don't have all that many place you can drive over 20. And the other thing is who came up with this and why. The county must need more income.

Doug, why do you think street legal carts will not have that many places to drive over 20 mph? They can still go 35 mph on Buena Vista or Morse (south of 466) and 30 on Morse north of 466, or Canal or the other non-residential roads that are currently 30 mph. It's clearly spelled out in the article published in the paper yesterday.

I just don't understand why so many have their knickers in a knot over this!

[skip0358]

I agree 20 mph is slow but the sign says unless otherwise posted. So your going to have to be a lot more careful when driving will it be 10,15,20,30 or 35 because the limits are all over the place. Yes it's a cash cow,yes it's crazy but it might wake people up a little while driving. I do agree that very few commercial vehicles if any at all get stopped. Wish the hell they would. I also agree with the post on speeding on residental streets I to have that problem on my block. As for the street legal GC maybe more of them will stay on the road now. I think it also interesting another post on a different topic last week drew so much support for the rules being enforced and this one is getting blasted. As I said in that post we can't choose which rules to obey if we want the bubble to stay a bubble. The rules are the rules if we don't like them we have to try and have them changed. Sumter County meets a Colony Cottage Rec Center show up with a large group and find out why they were changed and don't apply to all.

[babyjayne]

Amen to your words. Palo Alto has become a major hazard for people and golf carts because of the speeders trying to drive like they were on a freeway. San Marinno is worse. I feel really sorry for the residents who live there. These streets were not constructed widthwise for high speed traffic. The police have started drive throughs, but they don't seem to be there when the very bad are driving. The worst offenders are the vendors! I watch delivery trucks to Tierra Del Sol blast down the road in the morning at speeds even faster than the cars. I guess one way to stop that is to start calling the vendors and reporting the trucks to the businesses and the sheriff.

To make matters worse most of the high speed drivers are talking on the cell phone while speed and not even aware of their surroundings. We have been run off the road while walking, biking, carting and even nearly hit many times while driving the speed limit. We have also witnessed carts and even cars swerving on to the lawns to avoid speeders.

God bless the deputy that begins to monitor the traffic on San Marino, Madero, and Palo Alto. If folks want a quicker cut through then they should go to the "high speed" arteries of El Camino and Morse and be happy.

We would be grateful to see the 15 mph as mentioned in another post. How come they get the 15 mph posting and we don't. Maybe all residential streets should have been 15 mph.