Motorists in Noblesville should be aware of several changes made to the city traffic code and lowered speed limits by the State of Indiana on local highways. New signage will provide reminders to motorists in the areas affected.
The Noblesville Common Council recently approved ordinance No. 10-04-18, which transforms the intersection of Summer Road and 156th Street from a two-way to a four-way stop.
“Traffic at the approaches are imbalanced with the east and north approaches being essentially equal and the west and south approaches also equal. This imbalance can create confusion as to which approach should stop,” City Engineer John Beery said.
The other change in ordinance No. 10-04-18 was prohibiting on-road parking on both sides of Endeavor Drive and Cumberland Pointe Boulevard. Typically, street parking is not allowed in commercial areas, which is where these streets are located.
At the state level, the Indiana Department of Transportation has recommended the lowering of two speed zones on state roads within Noblesville:
- After completing a series of speed studies on State Road 32 from Westfield to Noblesville, INDOT officials determined to eliminate the 50 mph speed zone starting at Oakmont Drive and continuing west to Shady Nook Drive in Westfield. This stretch of SR 32 will be lowered to 45 mph – essentially extending the existing zone from River Road to Shady Nook.
- INDOT also is lowering the speed limit off State Road 38 from State Road 32 to Little Chicago Road from 45 mph to 40 mph. In the past year, INDOT has received numerous requests for speed, signal and safety studies in this area. A recently completed speed studies in the residential section between Hague and Little Chicago roads revealed that a good chunk of vehicles traveled at or below the existing 45 mph speed limit. These results coupled with the residential drive density, built environment and perceived safety concerns from the motoring public led to the lowering of the speed limit.