The speed limit through the village of Lucknow dropped from 60km/h to 50km/h on Thursday, March 21 "for the safety of all road users", according to Transport for NSW.

"I don't think it'll make any difference at all, to be quite honest," Skin Shop and Boot Barn owner Dianne Gee told Orange's Central Western Daily.

"They changed it a few years ago and now they're going to change it back again ... but we'll see what happens."

The speed limit was previously 50km/h, but it was increased in 2012.

In an announcement about the speed limit change at Lucknow, Transport for NSW said it conducted a speed zone review of a 1.17-kilometre section of the highway following requests from Orange City Council and local community members.

Transport for NSW regional director west Alistair Lunn said the review assessed factors including location, crash history, road environment, the number of access points, road usage, traffic mix and traffic volumes.

"The Mitchell Highway through Lucknow is an arterial road, with a mixture of residential and business premises beside the road," he said.

"This section of road has had a significant crash history resulting in 16 injuries in the past five years, roughly twice the expected rate for similar roads.

"Consultation with local businesses and residents found they supported a reduced speed limit due to the growing popularity of Lucknow's shopping village, to boost safety for pedestrians and to reduce the risk of rear-end collisions with vehicles turning into side streets or businesses."

He said the lower speed limit "will add about 14 seconds to the average journey through Lucknow".

The change at Lucknow follows recent speed limit reductions at Sofala and on the outskirts of Bathurst.

Transport for NSW announced in August 2023 that the 1.83-kilometre section of Sofala Road as it passes the village of Sofala and the intersections with Denison Street and Hill End Road had been reduced from 100km/h to 60km/h to make it safer.

In September 2023, 80-kilometre-an-hour zones on two roads on the outskirts of Kelso were cut to 50km/h due to the housing boom on the city's fringe.

Earlier this year, speed limits through the Orange CBD were dropped to 40km/h to improve pedestrian safety.