For safer roads, reduce highway speed limit to 60 mph near city limits

I read in the Missourian that almost $24,000 of taxpayer money will be spent to build a 2,100-foot fence to try to stop people crossing U.S. 63 (Oct. 21: “MoDOT plans to build fence alongside U.S. 63 south of Columbia”). I appreciate that the Missouri Department of Transportation is attempting to address this problem, but pedestrians can climb over or go around a fence.

I think that a much better way to address this would be to lower the speed limit at the Columbia city limits to 60 mph. This would also make the road safer for drivers and passengers. This area is where traffic increases into Columbia and, as traffic comes on and off the ramps, it often gets very congested. The speed limit is reduced to 60 mph when one comes into Columbia from the east or west on I-70 and it would only make sense, and probably prevent future deaths, to reduce the speed coming into Columbia from the north and south on U.S. 63.