KIRKWOOD, Mo. — Kirkwood leaders are set to vote this week on a resolution that would request St. Louis County to lower the speed limit on Big Bend Road.
The next meeting for the Kirkwood City Council is Thursday night. At the tail end of the agenda in "new business," the council will vote on Resolution 93-2024, which reads: "Requesting that St. Louis County Department of Transportation to lower the speed limit on Big Bend from Interstate 270 to the eastern City of Kirkwood limits to 30 miles per hour."
Recently elected Kirkwood Mayor Liz Gibbons has tried to get the county to lower the speed limit before. Around two years ago when she was a council member, she and the former mayor met with St. Louis County about the issue but said "they weren't interested."
At the time, Kirkwood officials were told the average speed on Big Bend was 45 mph. Gibbons said that was too high.
"There's a school, Robinson Elementary just down Couch and many kids walk down Big Bend to get to school," Gibbons said. "There's also Meramec right there."
5 On Your Side spent about 20 minutes at the corner of Big Bend and Old Big Bend roads near Interstate 270, clocking drivers with a radar gun. There were plenty of drivers following the speed limit, but the ones who weren't were typically going 10 mph or more over.
Gibbons said Kirkwood residents want to see the speed limit lowered, and 30 mph is a good place to start with St. Louis County.
"We thought we would go ask them via a resolution to lower it by 5 mph," she said.
The speed limit on Big Bend Road in Kirkwood ranges from 35 to 40 mph.
Kirkwood is represented by District 3 St. Louis County Councilman Dennis Hancock, who says it's unusual to go the resolution route.
"Usually this goes straight to the transportation and public works group, but if they want to pass a resolution, it may carry a little bit more weight if the city council does something like that rather than just some individual phone calls," he said.
As long as the resolution passes during Thursday's city meeting, Hancock said he will support it.
"I tend to listen to my constituents if they tell me this is what they want. I don't necessarily see a downside to it," Hancock said.