POA staff makes speed limit reccomendations

Randy Noles of public works forwarded the following memo to general manager Scott Randall with speed limit recommendations for the POA board. The public works department, along with the public works committee, after reviewing the last traffic engineering study findings and comparing them with the currently posted speed limits, recommend the following speed limit changes on Hot Springs Village roads. 1. Balearic Road: Change the speed limit from 40 mph to 45 mph between the intersection with Fineza Way and the easternmost intersection with Murillo Way. Reasoning: This is in accordance with the traffic engineering study recommendations, this segment is relatively straight, and it has clear visibility. 2. DeSoto Boulevard: Change the speed limit from 45 mph to 40 mph from the intersection with West Villena to 500 feet east of Alicante Road. Reasoning: This segment is a high traffic area with numerous curves and intersections. It has also been the site of many accidents. The traffic engineering study recommended a 40 mph speed limit. 3. Ponce de Leon Drive: Change the speed limit from 40 mph to 35 mph between the eastern intersection with DeSoto Blvd. and Lavanda Lane near the Ponce Clubhouse. Reasoning: This segment has numerous curves and hills which make visibility poor at the two golf cart crossings and many intersections. The employee safety committee requested in 2010 that the speed limit be lowered because of safety concerns. The traffic engineering study recommended a 35 mph speed limit, which was posted at the time, but then changed by the Board.