Your counter argument only makes sense under the assumption that there is no other way to change travel speeds. As others have mentioned, narrow lanes do wonder

Your counter argument only makes sense under the assumption that there is no other way to change travel speeds. As others have mentioned, narrow lanes do wonders, as do trees near the roadway and shorter sight lines. The trees are even more effective if they become mature enough to form a canopy across the top of the roadway. You can also achieve these changes with more temporary measures, such as paint and cones. Your situation sounds ripe for change. Look into street calming demonstrations, and seek neighborhood support to do one as well as possibly painting lines to narrow the lanes for drivers. Just don't be surprised that drivers try to drive highways like highways, even when you try with signs to tell them that it's a low speed road.