Effects of a rural speed management pilot program in Bishopville, Maryland, on public opinion and vehicle speeds.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: In summer 2021, a speed management pilot program was conducted on a rural two-lane road (MD 367) in Bishopville, Maryland, that combined countermeasures from engineering, enforcement, and communications. The study evaluated public awareness of the program and its effects on speeds. METHOD: Telephone surveys of drivers in Bishopville and neighboring communities, and of drivers in control communities across the state that had no program, were conducted before and after the program started. Vehicle speeds were collected at treatment sites on MD 367 and at control sites before, during, and after the program. Log-linear regression models estimated changes in speeds associated with the program; separate logistic regression models estimated changes in odds of vehicles exceeding the speed limit and exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 mph during and after the program. RESULTS: The percentage of interviewed drivers in Bishopville and neighboring communities who thought speeding was a major problem on MD 367 declined from 31.0% (before) to 6.7% (after). The program was associated with a 9.3% reduction in mean speeds, a 78.3% reduction in odds of exceeding the speed limit by any amount, and a 79.6% reduction in odds of exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 mph. After the program ended, the mean speeds at the MD 367 sites were 1.5% lower than expected had the program not occurred, odds of exceeding the speed limit by any amount was 37.2% lower, and odds of exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 mph was 11.7% higher. CONCLUSIONS: The program was well publicized and reduced speeding, but the effect did not last after the program ended for those traveling at higher-end speeds. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Comprehensive speed management programs that leverage multiple proven strategies, similar to the program in Bishopville, are recommended in other communities to reduce speeding.