CENTER — A recent Town of Center Trustees meeting approved the lowering of the speed limit to 25 mph on all roads that do not have a speed limit posted.

The speed limit on these roads, which are mostly residential roads within the city limits, was 30 mph. The 30 mph limit was a result of a nationally adopted limit on all non-posted public roadways.

According to Center Police Department Chief Dale Meek, “I recommended the change to the Center Town Council and they agreed unanimously to change the speed limit. The ideology behind the change is the amount of children and adults that walk or play on the roadways.”

Center has few sidewalks within the town, mostly confined to the commercial areas of town on Worth Street.

Meek also explained, “The average distance a vehicle needs to stop at 30 mph is 75 feet (six car lengths). This distance reflects a driver observing a need to stop and quickly apply the brakes. The distance needed to stop a 25 mph is reduced by 25 feet which can make a significant difference if an emergency stopping situation is required. The difference in the speed limit has been scientifically shown to reduce the risk of a motor vehicle crash by 40%.”

The reduction in the speed limit on these roads will begin immediately and will be enforced by Center Police. This reduction only applies to non-posted roadways and not areas in which the speed limit is posted, such as on Highway 112 or Central Avenue.