COUNTY

City to drop speed limit on Franklin Boulevard

State suggested lower speed limit along one-mile span

Michael Barrett
mbarrett@gastongazette.com
A complaint from a resident along this residential stretch of East Franklin Boulevard has prompted a city and state decision to drop the speed limit there to 35 mph. [MICHAEL BARRETT/THE GAZETTE]

Got a bit of a lead foot? Be prepared to pump your brakes when you’re cruising along East Franklin Boulevard later this year.

Gastonia leaders have agreed to lower the speed limit along a roughly one-mile stretch of the busy highway, which also doubles as both U.S. 74 and U.S. 29. The section that extends between New Hope Road to the east and Poplar Street to the west will see a speed limit drop from 40 mph to 35 mph.

That span of East Franklin Boulevard largely serves as a pass-through for people traveling between the downtown area and the congested commercial shopping district closer to Cox Road and Franklin Square. Roughly three blocks of it are entirely residential, with homes on either side that were built decades ago.

The speed limit on the highway west of Poplar Street is 35 mph, while east of New Hope Road it increases to 45 mph.

Conrad Pogorzelski, a Gastonia resident who lives at 1116 E. Franklin Blvd., contacted the North Carolina Department of Transportation and asked for the speed limit decrease. DOT engineers evaluated the request and felt the change would be warranted, particularly in light of a new lane configuration being planned.

They asked Gastonia City Council members to concur with that change, which they did.

No new signs

Gastonia Development Services Director Rusty Bost said there is no accident history that will be affected by reducing the speed limit, other than minimizing the severity of wrecks that occur there.

“Reduced speed results in less severe accidents,” he said. “There are a lot of lanes there, and a lot of traffic, and lot of times people make questionable judgments in their driving.”

City staff also calculated the effect that drivers will see in terms of lengthened trips.

“If you’re in the progression and you catch the green lights, we’re talking about an additional 10 seconds of delay from the reduced speed limit,” he said.

Bost said the main evidence of the change will come when city workers simply remove the 40 mph speed limit signs now situated along the eight-tenths of a mile. New 35 mph signs will not be installed, as that is simply the legal speed limit on city streets unless otherwise posted.

Mayor Walker Reid urged the city to do something proactive to inform residents of the change.

“I think that would be to put out there that we changed it,” he said. “I think that will cause us to have less calls.”

You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or on Twitter @GazetteMike.