- December 13, 2025
The Palm Coast City Council will be seeking to lower the speed limit in residential neighborhoods to 25 mph.
The change, if approved, would not begin until money is set aside in the 2027 fiscal year budget and would likely require the entrances to neighborhoods to have speed limit signs installed. The default speed limit for residential neighborhoods is 30 mph, according to Florida State Statutes.
The city conducted a city-wide study that showed lowering the speed limit was only warranted on residential roads, not collector roads. The study, previously presented in May, showed that the speeding that does happen on collector roads is not great enough to trigger requirements for reducing speed limits.
Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston said that if the council wanted to lower the speed limit on residential roads, it would cost around $1.2 million to do so, taking the money away from the micro-surfacing program. It would also need to wait until the 2027 budget, as there is no funding set aside for it in the 2026 budget.
Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri said that as the council looks at its strategic priorities they should “really focus on budgeting” for the changes. She said she’s tired of reading about car accidents and deaths.
“I want to make it very clear that I will be focusing on making our city’s streets safer in this coming SAP priority year,” she said.
Johnston said as part of SAP there will be a comprehensive revenue source study, including potential implementation, for public safety. That will come to council in the spring, she said.
The council has asked city staff to review the process to make the change and get an updated cost estimate, as well as what the Florida Department of Transportation would require to make the changes.
Flagler Beach changed all of its residential roadways to 20 mph in 2024. While Councilman Ty Miller said he doesn’t know that a reduction would actually reduce speeding, Pontieri and Mayor Mike Norris said that they have slowed when in Flagler Beach because of the change.
Councilmen Dave Sullivan and Charles Gamabro also agreed with reducing the speed limit.
“On all of our residential streets, it's just way too fast,” Gambaro said. “And whether we replace the signs at 25 miles an hour or post a sign at the entrance of a neighborhood, I think we need to do something.”
