COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — El Paso County is conducting a speedy study on Hodgen Road in North Colorado Springs.
Multiple homeowners in the Settlers Ranch neighborhood have been pushing for a lower speed limit along Hodgen Road, which runs parallel to one entrance of the neighborhood.
Nancy Czarnick's property borders Hodgen Road. She would like to see the current 55-mile-per-hour speed limit reduced to 40 miles per hour.
“Not only are people driving faster everywhere, I think they’re trying to use Hodgen Road as a thoroughfare to get from the east side of town to I-25," Czarnick said. "It’s not a highway, it’s a road, it’s a residential road, and going 55 is not acceptable in this area."
When establishing a speed limit, CDOT Traffic Safety Program Engineer Jason Nelson says the agency collects speed data during free-flow periods.
"We take 85th percentiles, what that means is what 85% of people are driving at or below," Nelson said. "Also, what really matters is context. We look at the corridor. What’s the corridor supporting? Is it residential? Commercial? Is it really a freeway? Interstate? We do look at that quite a bit."
Tom Anderson has lived in Settlers Ranch for seven years. He hopes a lower speed limit will reduce noise pollution along Hodgen Road.
"It's an uphill going east, so cars are revving naturally," Anderson said. "The trucks are extra noisy when they accelerate."
El Paso County tells News5 that they have received initial data from the speed study, but an engineering analysis is still underway.
"That's a step, but we really want to see some action," Czarnick said. "I don’t see it getting better any time soon unless they lower the speed limit."
El Paso County expects speed study results to be available by July.
Email Senior Reporter Meghan Glova at meghan.glova@koaa.com.
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