Last week’s installation of temporary speed tables along Peninsula Drive between Garfield Avenue and East Front Street has resulted in a "significant reduction in speeding along the corridor," according to the City of Traverse City.

During the two weeks prior to installation, traffic monitoring showed that approximately 60-70 percent of vehicles were exceeding the speed limit, with the highest recorded speed of 65mph, according to the city. In the first week following installation of the speed tables, the percentage of vehicles exceeding the speed limit dropped to approximately 3 percent, with the highest recorded speed decreasing to 43mph.

The speed tables were installed on August 20 "as a trial in response to resident concerns and traffic data showing consistent speeding along Peninsula Drive, particularly near heavily visited Bryant Park," according to the city. "The goal is to reduce vehicle speeds and improve safety for residents, pedestrians, bicyclists, and park visitors." 

While the city calls the early results "encouraging," it plans to continue collecting and evaluating traffic data throughout the trial period to better understand the effectiveness of the speed tables over time.

"The speed tables are temporary and will be removed prior to the winter season to accommodate snow removal operations," according to the city.

Photo credit: City of Traverse City