By the F.C. Citizens’ Advisory Committee on Transportation

About the Author: The CACT considers Neighborhood Traffic Calming cases, provides transportation-related recommendations to the City Manager on traffic calming, and reviews traffic studies for development proposals, and other proposed plans.

The City of Falls Church took a big step last month to make our residential streets safer, more inviting, and pedestrian friendly. The City installed 20 mph speed limit signs on most residential streets. This decision is not just a matter of numbers on a road sign; it is a symbol of the City’s dedication to fostering a community where safety, neighborly interactions, and quality of life are paramount.

Lowering speeds to 20 mph reduces the likelihood of serious crashes. When cities in the U.S. and Europe have done this, average speeds dropped a few miles per hour and major speeding became less common. Just 1 mile per hour lower speed reduces fatalities in dense communities like ours by 6 percent.

Let’s make this personal. A pedestrian struck by a car at 20 mph has a 95 percent chance of surviving. At 30 mph, that drops to 75 percent. How do you feel about those odds as either driver or pedestrian? You would avoid the crash. Most drivers can stop in about 60 feet at 20 mph and 110 feet at 30 mph. Imagine you make the mistake of reading a text message while driving 20 mph. When you look up, you can stop just before you hit grandma crossing the street. Whew! At 30 mph, you’d have left her in a heap three car lengths back.

Even without distractions, higher speeds create a “tunnel vision” that makes you less likely to see that child chasing a ball across the sidewalk. There’s lots of unpredictability on residential streets and extra vigilance is required even at lower speeds. Drivers have minimal time to react to unexpected events like that running child.

Slower speeds make our human mistakes less fatal. And we all make mistakes. Driving habits that may seem routine after years behind the wheel, can, in reality, be hazardous, even life-ending, for pedestrians. Even the most well-intentioned drivers can unintentionally be dangerous. Driving just a few miles per hour slower and taking extra care at intersections doesn’t cost drivers much time, but it could save a life.

Imagine a world where people can stroll down their neighborhood streets without feeling rushed, anxious, or fearful of speeding vehicles. We can’t pretend that lower speed limits will eliminate law-breaking, but slower speeds by law-abiding drivers will create a more peaceful environment in our City. Every little bit more welcoming our streets are, means a few more people walking or biking. For children, that results in better concentration at school, stronger social bonds, and more self-confidence. For our senior citizens, some of whom cannot drive, a more walkable City encourages active, independent living, contributing to a better quality of life.

The benefits of 20 mph speed limits also extend to drivers. Lowering speeds to 20 mph in residential areas contributes to a more predictable traffic flow and makes crashes less likely and less severe. The lower speed limit will add mere seconds to drive times, due to the short distances and many intersections in our City.

The 20 mph speed limits are happening now thanks to a Virginia law passed in 2021 that gives the City this authority, and thanks to federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. The lower 20 mph limits are not new to our area: DC implemented them in 2020 and Montgomery County, Maryland, in 2021. Seattle, Portland, Cambridge, Minneapolis, Eugene, Norfolk, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco all have variations. Many private communities and military bases set 20 mph or even 15 mph limits.

Not all streets received 20 mph speed limits. Larger through-streets that do not look like “slow zones” to drivers will remain at 25 or 30 mph. The new speed limits reinforce what the street design already communicates, not try to “trick” drivers with speed traps. Moving forward, when streets get redesigned in the City’s Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program or other projects, there will be an opportunity to consider lower speed limits as part of that design.

In the City of Falls Church, the decision to lower residential speed limits to 20 mph represented an important stride toward a safer, more connected, and more inviting community. This initiative put safety, quality of life, and neighborly interactions at the forefront of our community’s priorities.

It is a commitment to a better tomorrow for all who live, shop, and work here. If you’re reading this, you care about our City. We hope you will do your part to make 20 not just a number on a sign, but a daily reminder of what’s possible when we look out for each other.

Find out more at fallschurchva.gov/20, and pick up a free yard sign in City Hall to show your support!