Speed Limits
 

There have been several letters to the editor lately regarding the speed limit changes. Lots of complaints about limits being lowered to 20.

I have seen several areas (Summerhill for one) that were 15 mph and now have been raised to 20. Woodridge, Talley Ridge and Southern Trace are still 25 along with many others. Not sure about Oak Forest.

Are there streets that have been lowered to 20 from something higher?

YES - Oak forest. Where do think this stupidity started?

No, the stupidity started when people, who didn't read the new regulation and the study and rationale behind it, started complaining about a tiny 5 mph reduction in speed limit on very few roads. As the OP wrote, some roads now have higher speed limits than before, some lower. Major roads like Morse, Buena Vista, and El Camino are unchanged. The new regulations make it more clear what the limit is on whatever road you are traveling. Basically, a four lane road with multimodal path for carts, etc., is still 35. A two lane road with a marked cart path at the side is now 30 (as Morse north of 466). An interior, neighborhood road with no dedicated cart lane is now 20. Any road with curves or other features that hinder sight lines or with a lot of driveways entering may be lower than 20 and will be marked as such. If I remember correctly from the POA meeting, out of 700 roads in TV, relatively few are affected.

It has been my observation that "speed limits" for a few people are only a reccommendation for most people.

MrMark....I have to ask just what makes you think that Oak Forest is where, as you put it, the stupidity of a reduced speed limit started? Obviously you are angry regarding the speed limit changes and need to place blame. Well, I for one, want to say you are barking up the wrong tree on this one. Oak Forest Residents had NOTHING to do with it nor did they have anything to do with the so-called resident only signs that were put up last year or so. Word out & about was that Oak Forest residents requested those signs and that also was untrue. So get your facts straight before you start pointing fingers and if the now 20mph is a problem for you then stay off Oak Forest & get your speeding ticket on Buena Vista.

Thank you for being a voice of reason (and sanity)!

I don't think Sumter county would have put up those signs if Oak Forest residents didn't whine and b***h about the traffic ! How can you say that they had nothing to do with that ?

First, I don't live on or near Oak Forest. But, because of its location and the fact that it is a straight road parallel to Buena Vista and leads right into Glenview CC, Oak Forest has/had become a short cut for carts, cars, and contractors trying to avoid either the old, bumpy, narrow cart path or the traffic on Buena Vista. Residents on that street had problems backing out of driveways with the constant stream of traffic on what should have been a quiet residential street. And they rightfully complained. I don't consider that whining and b****ing. I consider it standing up to get what you paid for when you buy a home on a residential street. And the traffic study confirmed that. You may have read comments from some people on San Marino about the vehicles using that road and others as a short cut to El Camino. If traffic is moving at an unsafe speed or volume, I would expect a neighborhood to complain.

IMHO, residents on Oak Forrest got the short end of the stick.
Originally Addison was designed as a through street for cars to Summerhill. It even has a multi modal lane. Had that happened there would be much less traffic using Oak Forrest. Consequently Oak Forrest got much more traffic than originally planned and there is no multi modal lane. Their street became a through street.

I would be surprised if the residents of Oak Forrest hadn't complained.

OK, sorry I called it whining and b***hing ! I should have said complaining. But nevertheless, the signs wouldn't have gone up if the folks on Oak Forest hadn't complained. So, how can you say they had nothing to do with it !

OK, this discussion has taken a turn away from the original topic which was the new speed limits. Nothing to do with the signs which I think didn't last long. The intent of the new ordinance was to make the speed limits within the Sumter county portion of TV more reasonable for the neighborhoods involved and more consistent throughout. Obviously, not everyone is happy with the changes, but I think the process, starting with a study conducted by actually driving the roads, was logical and reasonable.

In many locations in The Villages streets are used as short cuts, etc/ a case in point is Belevdere where traffic cuts thru from 466 to Buena Vista. Rio Grande and Delmar are the back way into Spanish Springs. Both of these streets have cartpaths but they are very narrow and often carts on halfway in the road so you can't get up to 15mph let alone 20. You are seeing way too many cars, carts bikes, pedestrian squeezed on the roadways at the same time, especially this time of year.

The reduction in speeed limit was redundant because between the heavy traffic and slow drivers you can't get much past 20 mph on 466let alone street designed 20 mph . A bit of hyberbole but pretty good description of the situation.. I don't travel much beyond Orlando and my onboard computer has me averaging 27mph.. Try it out reboot you onboard computer travel just within The Villages and see how fast/slow you really are going. OK I'll speak for the group that's going to say "Why are you in such a hurry, you are retired". My response, heck I even sleep fast :)

A traffic study was done some time ago & it was determined that Oak Forest needed a remedy to slow down & reduce the traffic flow. Yes, the residents complained that the street was becoming very unsafe due to the amount of traffic and unsafe speed. Sumter County's remedy was the ridiculous signs that were placed at the Southern Trace end & Tally end on Oak Forest. The residents DID NOT request those. I
Oak Forest between Southern Trace & Tally is approx 8 tenths of a mile. I don't understand why people feel they have to speed or pass for such a short distance of travel & yes I have seen cars pass other cars...spells danger to me.

The POA publication was delivered yesterday and a very good explanation was given about this issue. Don't know why folks grouse so much about changes that are for the good of the majority! Just mho!! IF we didn't have laws and rules then what a sad fix we all would be in, in this world!