Edina residents have long voiced concerns about speeding cars. Despite their vocalizations, they feel the city has taken little action to address their concerns.
Perceptions of speed depend largely upon location and circumstances. The vast majority of speeding traffic occurs in the southeast quadrant of Edina, which includes the Southdale and South Cornelia areas, where limits are often higher than usual.
According to a 2024 survey done by AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 36% of drivers speed on residential roads. However, interviewees guessed the number was closer to 75%. Additionally, respondents admitted to occasionally speeding but expressed their remorse for doing so.
“I try really hard not to, especially in neighborhoods where there are kids,” Edina resident and mother of two Sophie Burns said.
Even so, parents on residential roads are uneasy. Road speed signs are rare on residential roads, Burns said. “I think there are more hypersensitivities for younger families, especially with kids still learning about safety in the roads,” Callie Coonly said, an Edina resident and mom of three.
In 2021, Edina reduced the speed limit to 25 miles per hour on the majority of residential roads under their Drive 25 initiative. Despite this, speeding remains on the minds of residents with around 40% of residents frequently expressing their anxieties.
Coonly, who lives in the country club area, said that speeding five miles over the limit is alright, but going over 10–15 becomes alarming.
A tragic accident continues to spark conversation among parents. In 2023, Penny Wender Thompson was killed by a speeding car while peddling out of her driveway. “It’s something that I worry about for the kids in our neighborhood,” Burns said.
The residents of Edina have revealed their desire for a change. Coonly said that adding signage and patrolling would help stop speeders from driving through residential roads and encourage safer speeds, ultimately making a more comfortable community in Edina.
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on Oct. 2, 2025
