SEBASTIAN — Since the 35 mph speed limit on U.S. 1 through Sebastian went into effect in October, traffic stops on the highway by city police have more than doubled.
Sebastian Police Chief Michelle Morris says that between Oct. 1 and Dec. 20, 2012, only 116 stops were recorded, compared with 259 stops during the same period this year.
That’s an increase of nearly 125 percent.
Actual citations given out, Morris noted, were up by only about 5 percent.
At the time the speed limit was reduced, she stressed her officers would be out and stopping drivers to educate them about the new speed limit, but not necessarily ticketing them.
Morris said that after an initial flurry of complaints she has received very few, if any.
Morris also said she recently noticed more drivers slowing down from the previous 40 mph limit to the current 35. She’s also noticed many drivers who haven’t.
Signs at the north and south entrances the city that caution drivers of the approaching drop in speed are highly visible, made more so by two bright orange flags attached to them.
The speed limit is eased down in 5 mph increments approaching the city limits.
The city and the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce asked that the state FDOT make the reduction, citing both pedestrian safety issues and the interests of the business community, as U.S. 1 cuts right through the city’s principal business district and its parallel historic riverfront district.
