The small town of Bell Buckle is a busy place. So much so, town officials have been working on “traffic calming” in an effort to slow drivers down. Speed limits on residential streets are being lowered to 15 MPH.
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The small town of Bell Buckle is a busy place. So much so, town officials have been working on “traffic calming” in an effort to slow drivers down. Speed limits on residential streets are being lowered to 15 MPH.
Bell Buckle Board of Mayor and Aldermen made this decision at its January meeting. The 15 MPH is in response to the research that has been done and the data that has been amassed.
According to town officials, it has been “reliably recorded” that Bell Buckle has an average of 60,000 vehicles passing through town every month. And as well, 89% of those vehicles are speeding when they pass radar checkpoints, town officials have observed.
Bell Buckle officials say, from their vantage point, it isn’t really people trying to beat the train, so to speak, as it passes through several times throughout the day. But officials have noticed an increase in speeding around 2 to 3 p.m., which is when schools are dismissing.
Action is being taken now to slow folks down. “I am sure you will have noticed the increased police presence around town,” Janet Robinson, town recorder, told the T-G this week. “The Town has instructed police officers to issue tickets for speeds above 5 miles over the posted speed limit—whether the posted limit is 25 or 15 MPH. The Town of Bell Buckle is concerned for the safety of our community, our traffic, and our pedestrians.”
The new 15 MPH speed limit includes Maple Street and Cumberland Street, which lead to the rear entrance of The Webb School campus. "After speaking with Webb School officials, the school seems to be onboard and wants to work together to accomplish the same goals the town is trying to reach with the speeding issues,”said Mayor Ronnie Lokey on Wednesday.
The new 15 MPH signs for the residential streets have been ordered and are expected to be delivered in the next week. They are expected to be posted by early February.
The state routes of Highways 82 (Sawney Webb Memorial Highway) and 269 (Liberty Pike / Bell Buckle-Wartrace Road) will keep the 25 MPH speed limit with the exception of the school zone in front of The Webb School.
Motorists are advised to please be aware of the current speed limits. Drivers are also asked to watch for the change to 15 MPH on residential streets in the coming weeks.
“The Town of Bell Buckle is very serious about the safety of our pedestrians and drivers on our streets,” aldermen recently stated in a release to the community.
