The Montgomery County Department of Transportation lowered the speed limit on Whittier Boulevard from 30 to 25 mph on Feb. 22, citing findings from a recent traffic safety study conducted on the road.

In the study, the department noted the close proximity of a church, a school and residential driveways each located on the street and determined that a speed limit of 30 mph was no longer appropriate, Montgomery County Vision Zero coordinator Wade Holland wrote in an email to The Black & White.

“When examining speed limits, our engineers look at characteristics of the neighborhood as well as characteristics of the roadway,” Holland said in an interview. “They analyze speeds and combine all that information together to make a determination on what the appropriate speed limit should be for a route.”

As a part of the county’s Vision Zero initiative — which aims to eliminate traffic deaths by 2030 — the county government manages speeds to match the context of each road and its surrounding community, Holland wrote. In June 2021, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation piloted a joint program with Vision Zero to reduce the speed limit to 20 miles per hour on select county roads.

Senior Mia Martin frequently drives on Whittier and said that she appreciates the department’s efforts to make roads safer for students and pedestrians. 

“It’s smart that the county chose to reduce the speed limit,” she said. “A lot of people speed down Whittier and a lot of accidents have happened in the Whitman area.” 

Since 2016, traffic accidents have led to five deaths on a two-mile segment of River Road, which is located directly adjacent to Whittier. Maryland’s Motor Vehicle Administration has recorded over 130 traffic fatalities since the start of the calendar year, including some that occurred near school bus stops.

Despite the lower speed limit, Martin is doubtful that the driving habits of students will change, as young drivers tend to be reckless, she said. 

“I myself am guilty of speeding on the road,” Martin said. “While it’s a good idea, it’s somewhat pointless because people will still speed no matter what the limit is.”

Still, the school district and county government continue to push forward with traffic safety initiatives aimed at reducing speeds and increasing pedestrian safety in school neighborhoods.

“We want to make sure people can safely get to and from school every day,” Holland said. “We have committed to looking at all the roads around our schools to make them safer for everyone and work closely with our MCPS partners to make that happen.”