About time.
Seattle did that back in 2016
As of November 2016, Seattle lowered the default speed limits from 30 mph to 25 mph on its arterial roads and from 25 mph to 20 mph on smaller, mostly residential streets
I’m sure that will reduce all the catalyst thefts, shoplifting, illegal camping, drug abuse, and gun related deaths. (note my sarcasm).
My city recently did the same thing. What a waste. There are real problems that need attention. A 25mph speed limit isn’t one of them.
Spending a lot of taxpayer $$ and resources to change the speed limit from 25 to 20 in residential streets? meh, seems like it would make a most a minor difference … If safety concerns are paramount, a better change would be to require vehicle occupants to wear a helmet.
Next add a SFI Spec 25.6A Full Bodied Car Stock / Truck or Modified/OEM Floorpan and Firewall with OEM Frame or Uni-Body Construction – 7.99 to 8.49 Second 1/4 mike; 5,000 lbs. Maximum, plus a 5 point harness, a HANs device and you won’t even need air bags anymore… As long as the vehicle doesn’t catch on fire you don’t get much safer, other than a Nascar spec chassis… lol
And if you are really bored:
It’s the pedestrians they are trying to save.
Now you tell me. I thought you got points for hitting pedestrians. 
Only the fit ones.
Consider this thought experiment: If you are willing to spend a certain amount, and by one of two possible plans could save either 100 pedestrians from serious injury, or 150 vehicle occupants from serious injury, which is the better course?
When you’re out there riding your bicycle, Do you want to get hit by a car doing 20 mph or 25mph?
And how much damage is going to happen to the occupants of the car at either speed?
Our county reduced the default speed limit on county roads from 50mph to 40moh with the goal of making things a little safer for those turning onto side roads or coming from a side road. My parents live off a road that used to have a 50mph limit but we’d almost get rear ended by folks doing 60-70mph turning onto our street.
+1
About 2 years ago the state did the same thing on the main road that passes our neighborhood. It is a 2 lane road and used to have light traffic. Now it is heavily travelled and has houses fronting to the road for several miles. When the lower speed limit is obeyed it is safer. Most of the numerous intersections do not have traffic lights and because it’s a one-time country road it winds a bit. Follow it far enough and it’s still a country road.
This road has always had a fair amount of traffic in the morning and evening, it’s the main north-south road for the area and is straight as an arrow Most of the side roads are obvious and the major ones have signs warning you the intersection i is coming up. The lower limit does make things safer for those who live along the road, at least the complaints seem to have quieted down.
Last year, the speed limit in London was reduced to 20 mph, and the cops snagged The Archbishop of Canterbury for driving at 25 mph. Take a look at the penalities for speeding in The UK:
Difficult to keep within 5 mph without cruise control. Spend more time watching the speedometer and less looking for pedestrians and problems.
Our photo speed cameras do not photo a speeder unless 11 mph over the posted speed limit, I believe. Maybe 10.
Our photo speed violations are mail-in fines and Zero points.
One can go to court. First requires going to the City and County Building to schedule a court appearance, then again for the court session.
Surprised thathe Most Reved Justin Welby did not have a chauffeur.
Have you ever seen a chauffeur driving someone in a VW Golf?
I haven’t.
$625 fine for 25 in 20? In this area, probably wouldn’t get stopped for a 25 in a 20, unless the 20 was a school zone and there were a lot of kids walking to/from school. I got a ticket for 42 in a 35, probably 15 years ago, $450. So the London fine isn’t much out of line by San Jose standards.
The article seemed to imply the fine was hiked b/c it wasn’t paid on time.
Well good luck with that. Going through cities in Wisconsin was always a hassle at 25 mph, but 20 is park speed limits. Gonna see a lot brake lights trying to stay at 20. Of course then the hall patrol types will drive at 15.
UK has one really unusual driving fine, don’t think it exists in the USA. It’s called the ULEZ fine, “ultra low emissions zone”. To drive in that zone (downtown London for example), your car must be ULEZ compliant. Many newer cars are, older cars not so much. This creates a big problem for those who own older cars which aren’t compliant, & live in that zone. They cannot drive their cars anymore. hmmm … not being able to drive the car for which you own the title? Something is sounding vaguely familiar …lol …
I can’t post the link but this ties in nicely to a lehtos law video on traffic cameras using artificial intelligence. They can peer into the interior of a car to detect violations such as seat belts, phone usage, and then who knows what in the future. Certainly could instantly detect unauthorized cars or unpaid insurance. In the uk now but just a matter of time here if we let them.
A business partner worked part time at a casino and said their cameras were so good they could read badge numbers in the parking lot. Theoretically then a camera could detect if there are unauthorized disinformation materials in the car. Poor George Orwell was ahead of his time.