Motorists obeying speed limit

Despite reports that motorists are speeding along Main Street, three police traffic surveys indicate drivers are obeying the posted speed limit.

?We are asked to do these surveys all the time,? said McMinnville Police Capt. Bryan Denton. ?If people request them, we will do it, or sometimes we do them on our own.?

McMinnville Police Chief Joe Melton signed off on the traffic survey along West Main Street for March 23. The survey was held at three scheduled times during the evening hours.

With the speed limit 30 mph, the test showed no surprising results. Although Main Street does see its share of traffic, the perception that people are traveling down the street at excessive speeds isn?t accurate, reports Davenport. The survey showed that all vehicles were within legal speed limits.

?We use the information we obtain from these surveys,? said Denton, ?to calculate the average speed. More times than not, we usually don?t find a problem. When you are standing still, it just looks like vehicles are moving too fast.?

Traffic survey results for Main Street:

? From 1 to 1:15 p.m. ? 31 vehicles, lowest speed 13 mph and fastest speed 21 mph.

? From 2:45 to 3 p.m. ? 19 vehicles, slowest speed 17 mph and fastest speed 29 mph.

? From 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. ? 88 vehicles, slowest speed 12 mph and fastest speed 27 mph with an average speed of 21 mph.

As for the traffic survey results, Mayor Royce Davenport commented, ?It?s interesting sometimes the difference between what we think and what the facts really are.?