Speed Limit Confusion in West Des Moines - ABC5 News Des Moines, IA

Speed Limit Confusion in West Des Moines

by Phil Prazan

pprazan@myabc5.com

@PhilPrazan

Imagine if you got a speeding ticket, but there was nothing on the books saying you had to pay it.  Well that's what's happened on a well traveled road in West Des Moines.

The 30 miles per hour signs standing on 22nd Street between I-235 and Ashworth Road, aren't telling the whole story.

When Asst. City Attorney Jason Wittgraf had to fill out the court paperwork for a speeding ticket in the area, he couldn't find the city ordinance that went along with the violation. It turns out there wasn't any.

A mix up happened over thirty years ago.

But don't get excited, there's still a speed limit on the street. Every residential or school zone has a speed limit of 25 mph unless it's posted higher.

The West Des Moines City council read the ordinance to make it 30 mph at its last meeting, and plan on adopting it.
 
"The next council meeting will be the 2nd reading, waiver of the third, final adoption and then a few days afterward it will be published in the paper and become recognized under law," says Jason Wittgraf.

So it will be finalized in about one or two weeks and until then police are still going to enforce the 30 mph limit.