An Eagle neighbor reached out to Idaho News 6 with concerns about the 50 mph speed limit on Beacon Light Road saying growth and speeding traffic are making it harder to get in and out of driveways safely.Idaho News 6 made its w ay out to the area to see traffic conditions firsthand and that is where Mark and Kim Melrose's U-pick flower farm came into view.Mark Melrose said the road has changed significantly as the surrounding area has developed. He said large developers are buying up farmland and building houses at a rapid pace, bringing with them commuter traffic, gravel trucks and rock trucks all on a road that was never designed for this level of use."Beacon Light is becoming a heavily trafficked road because of the developments," Melrose said. WATCH | Hear one neighbor's concerns about Beacon Light Road traffic Eagle neighbors raise Beacon Light Road safety concerns"This used to be a nice country area, but it's getting developed very, very rapidly," Melrose said.He said the posted speed limit is 50 mph, but most drivers go 60 and some go significantly faster. He said he has seen vehicles traveling at 75 mph or higher, and on one occasion witnessed a truck he estimated was going close to 100 mph.Melrose said his property faces Beacon Light Road and he is essentially landlocked, making it extremely difficult to pull out safely."We're pretty much packed in here. We have to wait for a few minutes to emerge or try to merge, which is essentially cutting somebody off that's flying commuting, but that's what we have to do because we live here," Melrose said.He said the problem extends beyond cars. E-bikes, dirt bikes and ATVs from nearby subdivisions are increasingly using the road to access BLM land, and cyclists are also on the road despite the hazards."You can't ride a bicycle on this road. If you are, you're insane because it's very hazardous," Melrose said.He said he has heard of near misses and fatalities on the road. He said he believes the long-term solution may involve widening the road to four or five lanes and potentially adding a roundabout near Hartley Road or Palmer to help manage traffic flow though he acknowledged that widening could also increase speeds.Kim Melrose said the farm which opened last year and is now in its second season draws families, couples and groups from Star, Emmett, Eagle, Meridian and beyond. The approximately half-acre U-pick operation grows about 97 percent of its flowers from seed in an on-site greenhouse.She said the farm was created to give the community a place to slow down as development accelerates around them."We just wanted to create a place for the community to come, even if it's just for a few minutes or maybe an hour, just to come anytime and just come and just enjoy creation," Kim Melrose said.She said the farm tries to make the experience as safe as possible for visitors with clear signage and flexible parking so customers can pull in wherever they feel safest given the traffic conditions."We just want it to be safe for people pulling in and out, not just for us," Kim Melrose said.Mark Melrose said the farm reflects a broader mission."We just want to give back to the community as it becomes a higher population. The farmers are moving out, and with a lot more private property, we just thought people need a little respite, and there's a place they can come and just pick flowers and enjoy a little closer walk with nature for a reprieve and a respite, and that's why we do this," Melrose said.After neighbors raised questions about the current speed limit, ACHD recently completed a new traffic study along Beacon Light Road including one conducted just last week. Traffic Engineering Supervisor Josh Sack said the findings support keeping the limit where it is for now."Our recent speed studies indicate that 50 miles an hour is still appropriate," Sack said.Sack said, however, that there is a notable trend. Compared to a 2024 study, top-end speeds on Beacon Light Road have already come down a couple of miles an hour."We are trending in that direction," Sack said, referring to a potential future speed limit reduction. "But conditions have not changed such that we feel that a speed limit change is going to actually result in further changes, at least under current conditions."Sack said ACHD considers several factors when determining speed limits including prevailing traffic speeds, land use, proximity to driveways and pedestrian and bike infrastructure. He also noted that simply lowering a posted speed limit does not guarantee drivers will comply if the physical conditions of the road have not changed."Modifications to speed limits doesn't necessarily mean that drivers are going to obey a reduced speed limit when conditions have not specifically changed," Sack said.While the 50 mph speed limit is staying the same for now, ACHD says it will keep reevaluating Beacon Light Road as development continues in the area. ...read more read less