Decatur considering lowering speed limit to 25 mph on city streets to reduce crashes

The City of Decatur is considering lowering the speed limit on city-owned streets.

On Thursday, officials held the first of several meetings for residents to get information about a speed study currently underway.

The meeting took place at the Recreation Center on Sycamore Street.

Nicole Banks owns a transportation business called First Trip. She said she considers her riders precious cargo and is open to lowering speed limits in certain areas.

"We are a non-emergency transport company which transports our veterans as well as the disabled," she explained.

She started the business six years ago and spends a lot of time on Decatur's streets.

"Taking them to doctors' appointments as well as if they need to go to the grocery store or anywhere in this area," she said.

The City of Decatur recently launched the Speed Study to determine whether speed limits on city-owned streets should be reduced to 25 miles per hour. If approved, Banks said that's an action she believes is much needed because of the number of crashes she sees while driving each day.

"Any time the appointment is after 2 or 3 o'clock, I see them quite often," she said.

From 2018 to 2023, there were more than 3,400 crashes reported in Decatur, according to a city report. This process will allow offices to take a closer look at fatalities, crashes, and traffic patterns to figure out where speed limits should be lowered.

Officials said people may notice black tubes across some streets and cameras. They're using these to gather information for the study. These devices are tracking speeds, pedestrian activity, and traffic.