photo by: Craig Howell

Members of the Weirton Traffic Commission and Weirton Council are hoping to schedule a work session to review speed limits in residential areas of the city, responding to what officials see as an increase in requests for lower limits.

Officials may soon begin a city-wide study of speed limits in residential areas of Weirton, citing numerous requests on the matter in recent months.

The possibility was raised Thursday by members of the Weirton Traffic Commission, who requested Weirton Council to set a work session for early November. Thursday’s meeting included two requests to lower a speed limit from 25 miles per hour to 15 miles per hour on a residential street. Those included a discussion on Wells Street, which was denied following approval of stop signs at the street’s intersections with Sycamore and Edgewood, and a request to lower speed limits on all dead-end roads and cul-de-sacs.

Speeding issues also have been raised during at least five other monthly commission meetings this year.

“We need a little bit of opinion here,” said Traffic Commissioner Bill Visnic.

While some previous discussions on the matter have raised the possibility of a blanket ordinance, enacting a 15 mile per hour limit in all residential areas of the city, commissioners Thursday noted such a limit would be difficult in some areas based on the topography, including Greenbrier Road, North 20th Street, Marland Heights Road, and Weir Avenue.

The 25-mile limit in residential areas was established under regulations from the State of West Virginia.

City Clerk Kimberly Long cited West Virginia Code 17c-6-1, which includes a provision setting speed limits at “Twenty-five miles per hour in any business or residence district,” as well as an allowance for local authorities to alter speed limits under Code 17c-6-3.

Such changes are not permitted on state roads, which in Weirton includes Main Street, County Road, Pennsylvania Avenue, Cove Road, Penco Road, Culler Road, Three Springs Drive, and Colliers Way.

Ward 4 Councilman Rick Stead, who was in attendance at Thursday’s meeting to make the Wells Street request, noted the city can only decrease the speed limits or keep them as they are on municipal streets.

“As with anything else with a municipality, I can be more restrictive but not less restrictive,” Stead said. “I can decrease but not increase.”

Commissioner Fred Marsh, while initially raising the potential of a blanket ordinance, suggested a memo be sent to city council to get a better idea of members’ thoughts and intentions.

“We can have an open discussion,” Marsh said, warning, though, the city will have to budget for new signage if council opts for widespread changes.