ST. MARYS (KSNT) – Police in St. Marys are noticing positive changes in the community after a recent change to the speed limit of some local roads.
St. Marys commissioners voted to bring the speed limit down to 20 mph on all unposted residential streets last year with the change taking effect in August 2025. Streets that already had posted speed limits were not impacted by this decision.
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St. Marys Police Chief Derek Cid said that signs have been added at all entrances to the community to inform people of the speed limit change. He said that drivers have adapted well to the recent speed limit decrease.
“As is common with a change like this, there was a grace period focused on education and warnings to help raise awareness and ease the transition,” Cid said. “Since August 2025, the change has gone well with few citations and a notable visible decrease in residential speeds and speeding complaints.”
City commissioners ordered a traffic engineering study to asses speed concerns in the community in the summer of 2025. The study focused on the following areas in the city:
- Second Street – Apache Street to Bertrand Avenue
- Eighth Street – Clay Street to Bertrand Avenue
- Palmer Street – Seventh Street to Grand Avenue
- Elm Street – Second Street to Eighth Street
- Apache Street – Sixth Street to Pawnee Drive
While the study concluded with recommendations to drop almost all of the above streets to 20 mph, only those which did not already have a posted speed limit were placed at 20 mph. You can find a copy of the speed study on the City of St. Marys website.
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