Proposal to Discuss Reducing the Speed Limit in Yerevan from 60 to 50 km/h, Says Mayor Marutyan

Mayor of Yerevan Hayk Marutyan proposed to discuss reducing the speed limit in Yerevan from 60 km/h to 50 km/h during a city council meeting on June 26.

“I don’t believe that lowering the speed will hinder traffic, as I have often seen some people driving fast, only to stop at a red light, thinking, ‘Brother, you seem to be in a hurry, but you won’t get far if you’re not planning to run the red light.’ Whether you’re going 50 or 80, you will have to stop at the red light,” said Marutyan.

The mayor emphasized that he had instructed for special lighting to be installed at all intersections in Yerevan. “We cannot do this all across the city at once. I have asked to catalog the darkest and most dangerous crossings, and those specific crossings need to be illuminated. Many cities have reduced speed limits. If we are ready for that, yes, the speed limit should be lowered from 60 to 50 km/h. It is surprising to me that there is an unregulated crossing on an eight-lane wide street with a speed limit of 70 km/h. There is nothing logical about this,” he noted.

He added that he conducts monitoring over the weekends and observes that in many cases, people do not use overground or underground crossings. “Even if we cover the entire city with overground and underground crossings, I assure you that the problem will not be solved because people prefer to pass directly and quickly. There needs to be a municipal police to prevent crossing the street near overground and underground crossings,” he stated.