A reduced 25-mph speed limit for drivers heading west into Holmes Beach by way of Manatee Avenue/State Road 64, starting at the Anna Maria Island Bridge, was posted Jan. 30 by the Florida Department of Transportation.
At the same time, the speed limit for drivers on the bridge connecting Holmes Beach to Perico Island was reduced from 45 to 35 mph.
Tokajer said Jan. 31 the sudden speed reduction at the city limit was causing a “firestorm.”
Later in the week, the state posted reduced speed signs for eastbound motorists on Manatee Avenue at 25 mph. Tokajer said that was expected.
New signs, some with temporary orange flags, were positioned by the DOT, said Tokajer, who has advocated for a citywide speed limit of 25 mph.
Tokajer positioned digital radar signs alongside Manatee Avenue in Holmes Beach to draw motorists’ attention to the reduced speed limits. The reduced speed might add an extra 28 seconds for motorists entering the city, Tokajer said, but during the busy season, motorists won’t be able to drive up to the speed limit, anyway.
“We have a lot of people coming in,” Tokajer said at a news conference Feb. 1 near the bridge. “We have bicyclists that use this roadway. We have a lot of motorists. We have trolleys. There’s buses.”
Different factors went into reducing the speed limit, Tokajer said, including a DOT traffic analysis for Manatee Avenue at the entrance to the city.
According to Robin Stublen, communications specialist for District 1 of the DOT, Tokajer suggested reducing the speed limit in Holmes Beach.
“After looking at the number of pedestrians, bicyclist and beachgoers, we agreed to lower the speed limits based on our engineering judgment,” Stublen wrote in an email Feb. 2 to The Islander.
Florida statute allows municipalities to set the speed limit on residential roads to a maximum of 20-25 mph after an investigation determines it’s reasonable. A 2015 bicycle fatality near the bridge also was a factor, Tokajer said.
Commissioner Jean Peelen, in a Feb. 3 email to Tokajer and the commission, said the reduced speed limit was “sprung on the residents.”
“There was no public notice, no input,” Peelen wrote.
A Jan. 24 DOT notice, including the traffic analysis, to County Commissioner Betsy Benac, was copied to Tokajer and received Feb. 6
The HBPD is working this month to educate motorists about the reduced speed limits, Tokajer said.
“It’s good for the citizens and it’s good for the community, and it’s definitely a lot safer,” Tokajer said. “Slow down and enjoy the scenery. You’re in paradise. There’s no reason to rush.”