Elkins City Council to Consider Pilot Program to Secure Public Safety in Residential Neighborhoods
Elkins, WV, December 3, 2025: At its regular meeting this Thursday, December 4, Elkins City Council will consider on first reading an ordinance that would lower the speed limit to 15 miles per hour on a large portion of residential streets in the Fourth Ward.
The change was prompted by a petition signed by about two dozen residents of this neighborhood and recommended by Council’s Rules & Ordinances Committee. The ordinance’s intention is to improve pedestrian safety and create consistent speed limits in a neighborhood where some streets are already posted at 15 MPH.
EPD will use radar speed signs to track average vehicle speeds after the change to evaluate its success. City officials consider this a pilot program that they could later implement in similar neighborhoods throughout Elkins depending on the results.
If Council approves this ordinance this week and on second reading on December 18, the City of Elkins would designate the new speed limit by first posting signs throughout this area. In addition to posted signs, City officials will provide public notice prior to the program’s implementation, including announcements in local media, on the City of Elkins Facebook page, and through WENS text alerts.
This next City Council meeting will be tomorrow, Thursday, December 4, at 7:00 p.m. at the Phil Gainer Center.
A map of the neighborhoods that will be affected by this change is below.
