Transportation

City of Eugene lowers posted speed limits on several local streets

KLCC | By Tiffany Eckert

Published August 6, 2026 at 5:52 PM PDT

In March, the speed limit on Polk Street in Eugene was reduced to 25 mph. Speed limits on Green Acres Road and other neighborhood streets such as Oak Patch, Elmira and Maple, have also been lowered to 25 mph.

The City of Eugene is continuing its push to make streets safer by lowering speed limits across several neighborhoods.

In July, speed limits on Goodpasture Island Road were reduced to 30 mph east of Delta Highway and 35 mph to its west. Green Acres Road, and a series of neighborhood streets such as Polk, Oak Patch, Elmira and Maple, were each lowered to 25 mph in March. More changes are coming in August on River Loop 1 and 2 and Wilkes Drive.

Eugene Public Works spokesperson Marion Suitor said the most recent crash data makes the case clear.

“Seventy percent of traffic deaths in Eugene were in streets that were 35 mph or higher,” she said.

Changing a speed limit involves partnering with the Oregon Department of Transportation to carry out the state’s required speed zone investigations. Suitor said with new staff on board, the City of Eugene now has the capacity to identify more locations and pursue speed limit changes.

street signs — Here at the corner of Polk Street and 11th Avenue, drivers must navigate signage and traffic-calming tactics, including reduced speed limits.

“Changing a speed limit is one of the least expensive ways to get an instant traffic-calming effect,” Suitor said. “It’s what we use the most.”

In Eugene, arterial streets tend to have the most significant accidents and by design, they tend to be the higher speed limit streets.

“Making these decisions, it’s kind of this constant push/pull of what type of street it is, what the speed limit is and what kinds of crashes we are seeing in those areas,” Suitor said.

Additional streets, including Highway 99, Washington and Jefferson—are now under review with ODOT. According to the city’s Fatal Crash Report, Highway 99 is one of Eugene’s most dangerous multi-lane corridors, accounting for three fatal traffic accidents in 2025.

In a statement announcing the speed limit changes, City of Eugene transportation planner Logan Telles said the goal is simple: “By updating speed limits to match the way people use the street, we’re taking meaningful steps toward our Vision Zero goal of eliminating deaths and serious injuries from crashes.”

More speed limit updates are expected as the city focuses on areas where slower speeds can make the biggest difference for everyone traveling through Eugene.