Lakeland Speed Limits
I’ve been living in Lakeland, FL now for 2 ½ years. When I first moved here, I had to drive all over town to
How Fast Should I Go?
take care of the last minute details one encounters when relocating. Between transferring vehicle registrations, enrolling my son into school and finding the perfect Doctor, I found myself on the North side, the South side and in the center of town. During all my travels, one item struck me as peculiar; the posted speed limits lack consistency and seemingly make no sense at all.
As I was driving down Sleepy Hill Road (from US 98), a four-lane divided road, I glanced at my speedometer and realized I was doing 43 MPH. In my mind, this seemed appropriate for this type of road. I was quite surprised when I noticed the posted speed limit for this road is only 35 MPH. Needless to say, I let off the accelerator and gradually reduced my speed to the suggested 35 miles per hour. When I reached the intersection of Galloway road, I took a left to head toward my destination. Noting this road was a two-lane undivided road, I continued at 35 MPH. Much to my disbelief, the person who was once tailgating me, had now pulled out and passed me, tossing me an angry glare and hand gesture as he passed. I thought to myself, I hope there is a Sheriff around, as this guy deserves a ticket. As I continued to “putt” down Galloway Road, I noticed an approaching speed limit sign. The closer I got the sign, the further my lower jaw reached my lap. The speed limit on this road was posted at 50 MPH. How could Polk County allow this speed on such a narrow road?
After realizing the speed limits were odd, I became very mindful on my future travels throughout Lakeland. While some of the speed limits were appropriate, others still kept my mind wondering. The only reason I can come up with, is the possibility of a school on these reduced-speed streets. Does anyone know the factors Polk County uses when determining the speed limits?
