Orange County officials approved lower speed limits on two separate roads in southeast Orlando after a handful of residents voiced their concerns.
During this week’s meeting of the Orange County Board of County Commissioners, officials approved decreasing the speed limit on two southeast Orlando roads: Dixie Belle Drive and Pershing Avenue.
The new speed limit along Pershing Avenue between South Bumby Avenue and Conway Gardens Road is 30 miles per hour, down from 35 miles per hour.
According to the county, citizens had “expressed that the posted speed is too high and presents a safety risk” on Pershing Avenue. A speed study showed that the 50th percentile speed on the road was 33 mph.
Although Dixie Belle Drive falls within the City of Orlando’s jurisdiction, the stretch between Curry Ford Road and Gatlin Avenue has portions that are owned/maintained by the county. Late last year, a resident expressed concerns that the posted speed limit on that stretch of road was too high.
After the county conducted a speed study, which showed that the 50th percentile speed on the road for that stretch was 35 mph, the recommended change was to reduce the limit to 35 mph.
Instead, the county opted to reduce the speed limit to 30 mph, down from 40 mph.
Are you concerned for pedestrian safety in your community? Contact the Orange County Public Works division to share details.