The Ellijay City Council voted in favor of two speed reduction measures.
The action came at a meeting Monday, Sept. 16 — lowering speed limits on a stretch of North Main Street/Old Highway 5 and installing speed reducing devices on North Avenue.
The speed limit ordinance, which underwent a first reading last month, lowers the speed limit in three places.
Speed limit changes run from the intersection of South Main and Spring Street to just south of Parks Avenue to 25 mph, from there to .26 of a mile south of Call Wright Road to 35 mph and from there to Highway 515 to 45 mph.
Previously, those speed limits ranged from 35 mph at Church Street to 55 mph approaching Highway 515.
Speed tables will be installed on North Avenue to reduce speeding along the increasingly busy downtown street.
Councilmembers have previously heard concerns from North Avenue residents about the increase in speeding there and heard further comments at the meeting.
“If any of you would stand in that alleyway you would see the cars flying up and down the road,” said resident Jerry Davis, who had approached the council earlier this year about doing something to slow speeders.
“Speed tables are the answer to slow the traffic down, and that’s what they would do. That’s the only logical way you can slow vehicles down.”
The council voted to install three or less of the speed tables, which will be a height of two-and-a-half inches or less.