The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors approved reducing the speed limit on a portion of Main Street in Templeton between 1st and 8th Streets to 25 mph.
The county said the area between these streets would be considered a business district and, therefore, subject to a 25 mph speed limit.
The new speed limit requires drivers to travel 5 mph slower than the 30 mph speed limit required by the 2023 version of SLO County's Traffic Regulations Code.
Templeton residents we spoke to responded to the change favorably, saying the speed reduction would enhance safety within the community.
Savannah Radatz said she and her children walk and drive along Main Street often.
"It's low-visibility on Main Street already. So a higher speed limit — I could see how that could be dangerous," Radatz said. "25 seems like an appropriate speed."
Radatz believes even a minor reduction in the speed limit can mean a lot in terms of safety.
"When you stop in time if a child runs out in front of you, five miles per hour can make a big difference," Radatz said
John Doss works at the Templeton Recreation Department and has seen many close calls in the years he's spent there.
"Almost on the daily where somebody is not paying attention. They hit their brakes really fast and you kind of hear it," he said.
Doss added that later in the day when the sun is too bright, it adds another element that makes driving dangerous.
“As the sun is setting, as you go up Main Street, northbound towards the 101 and Templeton High School it’s bad because you can’t see if someone’s in the [crosswalk] because of the sun," Doss said.
