PROVO, Utah – The speed limit on Provo’s Center Street is 15 miles per hour, but most drivers traveling through downtown Provo drive faster than the posted speed limit, according to BikeWalk Provo and Downtown Provo, Inc.
Both of those groups want to make changes to Center Street designed to slow down drivers to the posted speed limit of 15 mph.
Mary Wade, director of BikeWalk Provo and Quinn Peterson, director of Downtown Provo Inc. sent a letter to Provo Mayor Michelle Kafusi requesting several changes be made to make Provo’s main downtown thoroughfare safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The letter listed six ideas that BikeWalk Provo and Downtown Provo Inc. want the city to implement the following six changes:
- Install raised crosswalks at every mid-block crossing between 200 East and 500 West. This will slow cars and enhance pedestrian visibility. Raised crosswalks are about six inches above grade and cost $20k to $40k per installation. They can be found across Utah and the United States; on nearby BYU campus and in snowy Anchorage, Alaska.
- Replace the missing 15MPH speed limit sign at the northwest corner of Center and 300 West.
- Paint sharrows (shared lane markings) on the right (outside) lane of eastbound and westbound Center Street from 200 East to 500 West. This will make people on bikes and scooters feel comfortable to ride on the 15 mph street and not on the sidewalk.
- Adjust light signal timing on Center Street to discourage through-traffic. This will encourage faster drivers to use 100 North or 300 South instead of Center Street.
- Adjust light signal timing on 100 North to encourage through-traffic. This will encourage faster drivers to use 100 North instead of Center Street.
- Install a left-turn lane and arrow westbound on 100 North at 500 West. This will give quicker freeway access from 100 North, again incentivizing its use for faster drivers.
