Speed limit on Broadway to be reduced
ARDOT and city officials deem current limit to be unsafe
By DON WILBURN
donaldfwilburn@gmail.com
The speed limit on Broadway in West Memphis is set to decrease in the coming months, following a recommendation from the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT). The new speed limit will drop from 35 mph to 30 mph between the railroad tracks and 14th Street, with new signage expected to be installed soon.
The decision comes after a study conducted by ARDOT’s commission identi _ed the need for a lower speed limit to improve pedestrian safety and reduce traf_c risks in the area. Broadway, a major thoroughfare in West Memphis, has long been a topic of concern due to its unsafe conditions for pedestrians. Many intersections lack crosswalks, while others have poor visibility and inadequate lighting.
Local resident and Main Street West Memphis Director Raymond Whiteside has been a vocal advocate for making Broadway safer. He expressed gratitude to the WMPD for their recent efforts to enforce the current speed limits, which he noted have already led to noticeable improvements.
“Thank you and your
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The speed limit on certain areas of Broadway will soon be reduced.
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department for recently increasing your enforcement of speed limits on Broadway. I have noticed several people pulled over along our main street lately, and I have started to see people driving slower as a result,” Whiteside said in an e-mail to police chief Robbin Campbell. “Other people have made similar favorable comments to me. Again, thank you!”
Whiteside also recently met with ARDOT’s Cannon Callicott to discuss pedestrian safety and the upcoming speed limit change. During their conversation, Callicott mentioned witnessing WMPD pulling over a speeding driver near Sonic, demonstrating that enforcement is already having a tangible impact.
Beyond the speed limit reduction, Whiteside has proposed several additional measures to improve safety along Broadway. These include installing more crosswalks, adding ashing lights and signage to warn drivers, improving street lighting, and introducing speed bumps to slow traf_c. He also suggested creating an alternate route for US 70 to reduce congestion on Broadway.
The urgency for safety improvements is underscored by alarming statistics. Nationwide in 2022, speeding was a factor in 12,151 fatalities, accounting for 29 percent of all traf_c deaths, according to the National Highway Traf_c Safety Administration (NHTSA). Young drivers and motorcyclists are particularly at risk, with high-speed crashes disproportionately affecting these groups.
“Speed limit signs are not suggestions. They are the law,” said Arkansas Public Safety Secretary Colonel Mike Hagar. “They are posted for the safety of the driver and others in and around the roadway. Unfortunately, we see people speeding every day. If you’re killed in a crash, or if you kill someone else, there’s no second chance. Speeding is not worth the risk.”
The forthcoming reduction in the speed limit is expected to make Broadway safer for both drivers and pedestrians, but city of_cials stress that enforcement and community awareness will remain key.
