Bristol Borough Council Approves First Step to Reduce Local Speed Limit to 15 MPH

Updated: 8 a.m. Tuesday  July 14 

Bristol Borough Council took a first step in community safety by approving advertising to change the local speed limit on some streets from 25 mph to 15 mph.

Council approved amending the traffic ordinance unanimously, enabling the municipality’s solicitor to draft an ordinance that would put the speed limit on “some” residential side streets at 15 mph.

Growing safety concerns raised by residents who live on Borough streets where motorists “speed” and in which  children live have grown in recent weeks, especially with school out for summer.

The borough’s focus comes on the heels of a 5 year-old who was struck in neighboring Bristol Township on Green Lane.

The proposed speed limit reduction would impact side streets, officials said, and mirror the strict speed limits in place while school is in session.

Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe said he wants to avoid any kind of tragic accident involving children in the borough.

“I’m trying to avoid an issue if we can,” he said at last week’s Council meeting.

Chief of Police Joe Moors supports the proposed speed limit reduction saying the reduced speed limit will give motorists more time to come to a full stop for example in a situation where a child darts out quickly into the street.

“It takes a lot longer to stop from 25 mph than it would be going 15 mph.  To switch it from 25 to 15 on the side streets, that’s a great recommendation.”

Borough officials said the proposed 15 mph limit would apply to side streets, including Lafayette, Washington, Dorrance, Spruce, Race, Cleveland, and Jackson streets. Meanwhile, main arterials like Jefferson Avenue, Pond, Beaver, and Farragut streets would maintain their 25 mph speed limits.

Moors said he is not a fan of installing speed bumps on local streets.

They seem to cause more accidents than solve motorists’ speeding issues.

What complicates the issue further, Moors said, is the growing use of E bikes and stand-up scooters on Borough Streets.

One young rider almost rode directly into the chief as he was coming out of the All Fresh parking lot recently, Moors said.

The department, Moors told Lower Bucks Source recently, launched a crackdown on illegal stand-up e-scooters.

“The scooters that you stand on are completely illegal except for private property,” Moors said. “ We’re going to start seizing the scooters. I really don’t want to occupy our time with that, but I feel it’s very important” for community safety reasons.

The police department has taken a very proactive approach since June 15th, Moors said.

I put the order out after approximately about a year of trying to educate the community through the schools, Moors said.

The next steps for the speed limit reduction ordinance is to advertise it for 30 days, per borough code, hold a public meeting and vote on it. Although officials did not set a specific timeline to approve the speed limit reduction, it is likely to come before Council for a vote at the September meeting.