Montgomery county wants you to slow down – even more. In a bill set for public hearings this past Monday and tomorrow – Wednesday, Montgomery County Councilman Hans Riemer is proposing two bills – one that would lower 35mph speed limits in Maryland’s Montgomery County to 25mph and one that would set a “lowest-speed-limit” floor at 20mph in the county.

While Mr. Riemer only requested the lowering of the speed limit, a second bill creating a speed reduction floor was brought in through negotiations. “When I had originally proposed it, I had just requested that here be no particular floor and that we should just be allowed to set the county road speeds at whatever we would like,” Riemer said. “However after some negotiations, we came to agreement that we would just set a new floor of 20, rather than 25, which is the current floor.”

Police are hesitant to back the bills considering they’ve not had an opportunity to discuss concerns; however, the passing of the bills wouldn’t automatically lower all 30mph speed limits in the county. The roads which would face a lowering of the speed limit would first have to be analyzed.

“If this legislation passes, then in neighborhoods where we’re having safety concerns, the community could work with the department of transportation. They would do a traffic study and then proceed, if they’re in agreement, to lower the speed limit to 20, which I think is a much more reasonable speed for your kind of residential neighborhood.”

Hans is also creating a third bill which will further lower speed limits in residential areas neighboring schools; however, that isn’t set to pass this year.