The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) will soon conduct a speed study on Highway 71 through Audubon to ensure the 30-mph posted speed limit is still appropriate or needs to be changed. The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office and the Audubon Police Department brought a proposed speed limit change to the city council’s attention due to the influx of traffic and most traffic violations being excessive speeding. Both departments wish to address the approximately one-mile stretch of highway through the community’s business district, questioning if a lower speed would calm traffic more. With Highway 71 being a state-controlled road, the DOT will complete a traffic study, studying traffic volume, crash history, and pedestrian traffic and collecting data on the current median speed of vehicles through the area. Once data collection is completed, the DOT will recommend, based on their findings, the maximum safe and reasonable speed for the highway and change the current speed limit if necessary.
