Sweet Streets calls for default 20 mph speed limit in Salt Lake City neighborhoods

Sweet Streets is calling on the Salt Lake City Council and Transportation Division to enact a 20 mph limit on streets that include places where people live, work, play, shop or attend school or worship, with timely emphasis on routes connecting with schools and neighborhood byways.

Doing so will protect city residents, connect neighbors and lead to safer, stronger neighborhoods throughout the city.

“There are so many known benefits to establishing a default 20 mph speed limit where people are interacting with the street,” said Myron Willson, a co-founder and board member of the volunteer-led streets advocacy group Sweet Streets. “The City Council has the power to make this change. It needs to hear from Salt Lakers that we as a city want this to happen.”

Salt Lake City’s ordinance (12.36.020) sets the speed limit at 25 mph, and the Transportation Division often sets speeds even higher in places where people are expected to be in the street among cars. This leads to more dangerous, uninviting streets and a higher likelihood of serious injury or death when drivers hit people.

A default 20 mph speed limit on local streets would have very little impact on travel times by bus and car, but it would have a huge impact on safety and livability in all neighborhoods.

The risk of death or serious injury increases exponentially with higher vehicle speeds, and the risk is even higher for the elderly.

According to the AARP, which studies streets that are dangerous by design, “Older adults, people of color and individuals in low-income communities are disproportionately represented in fatal crashes involving pedestrians.”

This change would provide safety on an equitable level in neighborhoods across the city.

Research from the more than 130 countries and American cities that have already endorsed or adopted a 20 mph default speed limit shows this is a powerful way to save lives and promote walking, biking and transit.

Portland State University found that the number of people driving faster than 30 mph and 35 mph declined significantly in Portland after their City Council adopted a 20 mph speed limit in 2018.

Over 36,000 people were killed in traffic crashes in the U.S. in 2019, making this the leading cause of death for children aged 5-14, according to the National Association of City Transportation Officials. 

“We want to reset the conversation with city leaders. Instead of privileging the speed of cars over people’s safety, 20 mph makes city streets safer and sweeter for everybody,” said Luke Garrott, a Sweet Streets co-founder and former member of the Salt Lake City Council.

For anyone interested in showing support for this initiative, head to our campaign page or email saltlakecity@20splenty.org.