The recent changes to the Seattle speed limit have been a long time coming, but are just an incremental step in a larger plan for safer streets.  The process of setting speed limits for streets and highways is surprisingly complex. Maximum speeds are set by each state legislature, which must balance the interests of stakeholders statewide. The social costs and benefits of lower speeds often lose in a head-to-head competition the economic and political benefits of higher speed limits. Historically, lawmakers have prioritized speed over safety. The consequences have been deadly. “U.S. streets have long been designed to promote speed at all costs, with deadly consequences” Linda Bailey, Executive Director of NACTO The irrefutable fact is that excessive speed causes more