The early results of Holmes Beach’s new 25-mph citywide speed limit are inconclusive but promising.
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer told The Islander April 6 that the change had been implemented without issue and, thus far, had resulted in some improvements over last year.
“A lot of people have reached out to us and said, ‘Thank you,’ that they feel safer walking now that cars are going slower,” Tokajer said. “It’s a benefit to public safety … to slow down the cars when we have so many people on bicycles and pedestrians walking.”
City commissioners adopted a resolution Feb. 8 establishing the citywide speed limit, primarily impacting three stretches on Gulf, Marina and Palm drives, where the city-controlled speed limit was 35 mph.
The measure went into effect midway through February to mixed reception from residents.
A comparison of traffic enforcement and accident statistics for March, a busy time for Anna Maria Island as spring breakers flock to island beaches, shows the new speed limit may have benefited roadway safety.
Vehicular accidents on city roadways decreased from 18 in March 2021 to eight in March 2022, according to Tokajer.
The number of speeding tickets issued year to year for March decreased from 13 to nine.
Holmes Beach police issued two more speeding warnings in March 2022 than in March 2021, but three of the four were issued to motorists in an active 15-mph school zone in front of Anna Maria Elementary.
However, the stats also show that the speed limit might not impact the most problematic stretches in the city — Manatee Avenue and East Bay Drive.
Both Manatee and East Bay are state roads with 35-mph speed limits that Holmes Beach police patrol but the city cannot regulate.
Eight of nine speeding tickets issued in March 2022 were to motorists on Manatee Avenue and East Bay Drive.
Only one ticket that month was issued on a road impacted by the citywide speed limit: to a motorist driving 47 mph in a 25-mph zone in the 6300 block of Marina Drive.
All the speeding tickets issued in March 2021 were to motorists along Manatee and East Bay.
Among the motorists cited for speeding on the roadways in March 2021 and March 2022, the fastest was clocked driving 80 mph, the second-fastest hit 70 mph, and three tied for third-highest speed at 61 mph.
“We have a large quantity of people, especially during the late afternoon and evening, that use the entrance into our city as a racetrack,” Tokajer said. “We’re not going to let that slide and you’re not going to get a warning for going that fast.”
The Florida Department of Transportation was researching potential changes to speed limits and the use of golf carts and low-speed vehicles along the two roadways that could improve safety, according to Tokajer.
Tokajer said his officers have discretion when issuing speeding tickets but primarily consider two factors: speed and attitude.
“From 43 years of police work, I will tell you that, as the officer approaches you, the attitude that you display toward the officer goes a long way toward whether you get a citation or a warning,” he said. “But if you’re going 20-30 mph over the speed limit, chances are you’re going to get a citation … because you’ve broken the law in a big way.”
“Going 80 in a 35 will definitely get you a court date,” he added.