Joplin reduces speed limit on 20th street near High School

JASPER COUNTY, Mo. (KOAM)--Drivers on 20th Street in Joplin will have to slow down as a new school zone is implemented immediately following a city council meeting on Monday.

The speed limit along 20th Street by Joplin High School will drop to 20 miles per hour. Residents say they are in favor of the change.

"Every time I come to work, there is someone right behind me driving really close," Cheyenne Hall, a barista at Pink Mornings Coffee Shop says. "I really have to slow down to make a sharp turn, and they are right on my tail."

Residents believe the change is necessary because speeding is a recurring issue.

"A lot of people are playing on their phones," Hall says. "Having that a little more enforced would be safer for the kids."

Emma Miller, owner of Avery Salon, also supports the change and says it would help younger drivers feel safer. However, she finds the road too chaotic.

"A lot of times, I just take the back way because I don't want to deal with turning across traffic," Miller says.

Overall, community members acknowledge the change may inconvenience some but believe it is for a good reason.

"Most people I've heard from are pretty much fine with the change," says Miller.

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