A car drives along a tree-lined street past a Historic Norcross sign and overhead traffic lights. — A Norcross street lined with trees and homes could be among the roads affected by a proposed 25 mph limit change.

A proposal to lower speed limits on Norcross streets to 25 mph sounds sweeping. In practice, the change now under consideration could affect only one section of one residential street.

The City of Norcross told North Atlanta Star that most residential streets in the city are already posted at 25 mph. Under the current proposal, all residential streets and a small number of non-residential streets would fall under the 25 mph standard, while other city-maintained commercial roads would keep their existing limits.

City officials expect the actual change to involve no more than five signs.

The proposal was discussed during the City Council’s Sept. 21 policy work session as Norcross continues looking at ways to reduce speeding and improve safety on local streets.

What Has to Happen Before the Limit Changes

The new limit cannot simply be adopted by replacing signs.

Julie Brechbill, community relations manager for the City of Norcross, said the city must first complete the engineering and traffic investigation required under Georgia law to determine whether the proposed limit is safe and reasonable.

The City Council would then have to formally approve the change. If police are to use speed-detection devices on the affected road, the city would also need to submit the required traffic-engineering documentation and local approval to the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Only after those steps are completed would the new signs go up.

Brechbill said the city generally replaces signs within about one week after formal approval. The estimated cost for the current proposal is approximately $250.

Drivers Would Get a 30-Day Grace Period

A lower posted limit would not immediately mean speed-detection citations.

Georgia law provides a 30-day period after a speed-limit reduction during which evidence from speed-detection devices generally cannot be used to prosecute speeding violations on the affected stretch. The city said that period would effectively operate as a warnings-only grace period before citations based on those devices begin.

For Norcross drivers, the larger point is that the proposal would not suddenly turn every city street into a newly created 25 mph zone.

Most residential streets already carry that limit. Based on the city’s current estimate, only one residential street section would actually see its posted speed reduced.