Signs bearing the new speed limit have been posted at some entry points to the city, and all non-posted roads — meaning those without speed limit signs — are now 25 mph, the news release said.

Police Chief Richard Mello has been urging the City Council to lower the speed limit since early this year. State law sets the speed limit for unposted roads at 30 mph in urban areas, unless a municipality decides otherwise. However, Mello has said drivers often travel at higher speeds, creating a safety risk for the community.

“An analysis of traffic accident data for the last two years within the City of Lebanon shows that 50% of all accidents occurred on local, City maintained roadways, and improper operation, including unsafe speed, was a contributing factor 35% of the time,” Mello wrote in a January memo to City Manager Shaun Mulholland. A copy of that memo was included, along with the ordinance, in a packet for the City Council’s March 4 public hearing on the matter.