On Monday night, the Destin City Council held a public hearing on the topic of reducing the speed limit on Airport Road, 98 Palms, and Azalea Street from 35mph to 30mph.

• Back on August 30, 2021, the City Council passed a motion to have staff bring back an ordinance that would lower the speed limit city-wide to 30mph unless otherwise posted.

For Airport Road, the roadway has been the topic of several safety concerns over the past few months, primarily centered around low-speed-vehicles and a “disproportionately” large number of traffic accidents around the bend near the Destin Executive Airport.

According to the city, these traffic accidents have occurred at least partially because of vehicles traveling too fast on Airport Road and specifically, the bend and turn on Airport Road.

“A reduction of speed on Airport Road is in the public’s best interest to mitigate the traffic and pedestrian accidents and best protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare,” wrote the city.

98 Palms Boulevard & Azelea Drive also have traditional vehicles along with low-speed vehicles, in addition to pedestrians. Because of this, the city council determined that reducing the speed limit on these road was also in the public’s best interest.

This was the first reading on the ordinance, and will go before council on February 22 for the final reading.