Speed limit will be lowered on Annapolis's Forest Drive after county's safety study

Drivers will soon need to slow down on Forest Drive in Annapolis. Starting July 27, the speed limit will drop from 40 to 35 mph. 

The change comes after an Anne Arundel County safety study found the corridor has one of the highest crash rates on county-owned roads. 

Anne Arundel County's safety study

Anne Arundel County's safety study found that the corridor ranks ninth in overall crash rate among county-owned roads and third among four-lane county roads.

"Oh, it's horrendous, and you can't police it all," Annapolis resident Judson Martin said. "They do the best they can."

The study found the corridor's crash problem is driven largely by rear-end, left-turn, and pedestrian crashes. 

Engineers concluded that lowering speeds could reduce how often those crashes happen and the seriousness of the crashes.

"Traffic is going to move slower"

Monica Kilsheimer drives on Forest Drive often, but she doesn't think lowering the speed limit alone will change driver behavior.

"Absolutely not," Kilsheimer said. "People are going to drive the way that they're going to drive. Maybe if they put speed cameras up so they get a ticket, that might help."

Judson Martin says it could improve safety, even if it means traffic moves a little slower.

"Yeah, but people are going to yell and call names probably, and there might be traffic jams," Martin said. "Traffic is going to move slower."

Both residents say rapid development, not the speed limit, is what's driving congestion along the corridor.

"It's over developed," Kilsheimer said. "It's been over developed and they continue to put more down."