Speed limit on Dupont Ave., Locust Road reduced to 20 mph near Morris Elementary

Increased traffic around Morris Elementary School has created a need for a lower speed limit on the surrounding roads, and the Morris City Council voted to decrease the speed limit on Dupont Ave. and Locust Road between Route 6 and Edgewater Drive to 20 mph.

Morris Police Chief Alicia Steffes said both foot and vehicle traffic in the area has increased now that the Morris Hospital YMCA is down the road on Dupont Ave.

“We’ve been hitting that heavy, so not only will they be lowering the speed limit but in the last meeting, we talked about better signage through there about it being a school zone with speed limit signs,” Steffes said. “There’s going to be one of those electronic speed signs over there, too, so it’s coming. It just takes time. It’s all in order.”

Steffes said the hope is the new measures are in place by the end of the school year.

She said this also provides West Side Park with a lower speed limit as the summer approaches, and she anticipates there being a lot of traffic to both the park and the YMCA over the summer.

The West Side Park project finished over the winter, adding updated baseball fields, new park pavilions, an ADA accessible playground, an updated skate park and a new walking trail.