As speed limits go down in some Springfield neighborhoods, they could be going up on some other city streets.

The traffic engineering department is recommending an increase of five miles an hour on 10 city streets. City officials say drivers speeds are behind the proposed change.

Many Springfield drivers will admit, they are guilty of not always abiding by the set speed limits.

“I try. I should. I don't always, but I try," driver Jim Caffey said.

"I have gone two to three miles over the speed limit quite frequently. To keep from getting ran over, all other cars are going five to ten miles over the speed limit," driver Wallace Davis said.

That's exactly what traffic engineers found. On some streets in Springfield, 60 to 70%, and in one case 90%, of drivers are going faster than the posted speed limits.

"When we have motorists going that fast in an area, then it's not because they're going to fast, it's the speed limit is set too low, and we need to get speed limits more in conformance with what they're doing," Springfield traffic engineer Earl Newman said.

Newman says people drive to road conditions.

"The number of lanes, alignment of the street, frequency of traffic control devices, number of driveways, whether residential or commercial," Newman said.

As road improvements are made throughout the city, he says many warrant an increase of speed limits.

The city refused to tell KSPR the ten streets that could be affected by the increased speed limits, saying it wanted to give the city council a week to review the recommendations.

Some drivers, though, have their own opinions on where they'd like to see an increase.

"There's a lot of congestion on Walnut Lawn, everyone going 30 to 35 mph, and it just gets congested and if they raised it to 40, it would ease up things a little bit," Caffey said.

The city says raising the speed limits will make them more enforceable as well, because so many drivers wouldn't be speeding under the new limits.

The city says it will release the names of the streets where speed limits could go up on Monday. Then, the city will look for public input on the proposed changes.