People Aren't Driving Too Fast on Residential Streets, Says City

By Keith on April 19, 2023

I live on a road that is one short block long. The speed limit is 25 miles per hour, like it is on all Gaithersburg residential streets. Despite the repeated complaints from residents that people are driving too fast on residential roads, particularly roads that intersect with 355, the city's position is that there is nothing anyone can do about it, and it's not even a problem.

This is just how it is - people will rip down residential roads and everyone just needs to scatter.

I've personally complained to the city about reckless driving on residential streets in Gaithersburg several times. The first couple of times, the city sent police to pull people over in my neighborhood for about a week. At one point, they even pulled someone over in front of my house.

This last time, Mayor Jud Ashman forwarded my complaint to the police, who sent two police officers to my house to discuss the matter, and tell me why it's not a problem. I guess it's possible that I'm overreacting and getting a bit too emotional about such matters. Besides, who doesn't like driving fast?

If I lived by myself, I guess I wouldn't care so much either. But I have little kids, and it's not safe for them to play in the front yard. If one of my children takes a wrong step off the sidewalk, they could be struck by a speeding car and killed.

Sergeant Rice set up a camera to study the speed patterns on my road. Rice then explained to me the facts.

All residential roads in Gaithersburg have the same speed - 25 miles per hour. City Hall will never change that speed from 25 to a lower limit, Rice said.
Because the speed limit is 25, and they're not clocking people consistently going over 30 on my road, it's not a problem because the drivers are not technically speeding. They are driving safely, according to the city.
There's only been one reported accident in the last few years on my road. Safety isn't an issue.

Regarding the speed limit, it's not true that if the speed limit is 25, that it's always legal and safe to go 25 or 30 miles per hour. If there are parked cars, pedestrians walking all over the place, or the roads are iced up, 30 in a 25 could be legally too fast and certainly dangerous. Twenty five is the speed limit, it's not the slowest speed you have to go. Drivers are supposed to drive safely at all times.

The city of Gaithersburg does not agree.

I admit that it is impressive that there has been so few accidents on my particular stretch of residential road - about 100 yards in length. I just disagree that people hauling ass through my neighborhood is safe.

Rice said that last year only three people were killed on Gaithersburg roads. Since this is seen by the city as a success, there's no reason to try and go for zero - three dead is fine for City Hall. That seems harsh to me, but again, I'm perhaps too emotional about this issue, it is just three people dead in one year.

One does have to wonder how Maryland's zero deaths on Maryland roads program could ever be a success, if cities like Gaithersburg are fine with a few deaths every year.

And while I have no reason to doubt Rice's assertion that city officials will NEVER lower the residential speed limit from 25, it's not accurate to say that they can't lower the speed limit, if they wanted to, they don't want to.

Imagine Mayor Ashman and the City Council deciding that there should be zero people killed on Gaithersburg roads. To do that, the city lowers the speed limit on residential roads to 15. They run ad campaigns touting the city's goal of zero deaths on our roads. The city invests in making roads safer. Roads deemed "cut-through" residential roads have speed cameras, speed bumps or other traffic slowing devices installed. Wherever possible, drivers are encouraged to stay on the main roads. I'm sure there are many smart ideas about how to solve this problem of unsafe driving in the city. I don't support more police stops because I don't believe that's an effective strategy, nor a good use of police officers.

Other communities have taken measures to create a culture of slowing down on residential roads, and it works. Just look at Washington Grove. The speed on those public roads is 15 miles per hour. The city of Gaithersburg can't do the same? There's no way that's true. This is about political will, and whether our elected leaders prioritize safe roads in our city.

And no one's freedom is diminished if they have to drive 15 instead of 25 on a residential road. Driving is a privilege, which is regulated, for obvious reasons.

So nothing prevents City Hall from doing these things in Gaithersburg, other than the fact that City Hall doesn't want to do these things.

And to set the proper context here, the goal isn't to just not be killed on a Gaithersburg road. The goal should be that being in Gaithersburg is enjoyable, or at least not dangerous and frustrating. A place where cyclists aren't run over and walkers don't have to run through traffic because there's no safe way to cross the street. A city which prioritizes walking, biking, and safe and orderly driving is a pleasant place to live.

The current city government of Gaithersburg will never do these things, but it's not because they can't do them, it's because they choose not to do them. The city chooses convenience, a belief in a misguided notion of "freedom" over creating a community that is safe, welcoming and enjoyable.