diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index 9f27f7f..62f648f 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
 Micropolis::map[] array-
  *Consider changing type from 'char' to 'short'
 
-Simulator speeds-
- *Do not change behavior of sim based on speed, i.e. crime scans
-  should be done every cycle, even at the high speeds.
- *Do not have sprite's movement speed be dependent on speed.
-
 Finances-
  *Pay operating costs either every week or at the beginning of the year,
   instead of at the end of the year. This will fix an issue where it is
diff --git a/src/micropolisj/engine/Micropolis.java b/src/micropolisj/engine/Micropolis.java
index f20a8ae..eda3bdd 100644
--- a/src/micropolisj/engine/Micropolis.java
+++ b/src/micropolisj/engine/Micropolis.java
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import static micropolisj.engine.TileConstants.*;
 
 /**
  * The main simulation engine for Micropolis.
- * The front-end should call step() and animate() periodically
+ * The front-end should call animate() periodically
  * to move the simulation forward in time.
  */
 public class Micropolis
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ public class Micropolis
 	public int cityTime;  //counts "weeks" (actually, 1/48'ths years)
 	int scycle; //same as cityTime, except mod 1024
 	int fcycle; //counts simulation steps (mod 1024)
-	public int acycle; //animation cycle (mod 960)
+	int acycle; //animation cycle (mod 960)
 
 	public CityEval evaluation;
 
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ public class Micropolis
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Checks whether the next call to step() will collect taxes and
+	 * Checks whether the next call to animate() will collect taxes and
 	 * process the budget.
 	 */
 	public boolean isBudgetTime()
@@ -456,11 +456,12 @@ public class Micropolis
 		return (
 			cityTime != 0 &&
 			(cityTime % TAXFREQ) == 0 &&
-			((fcycle + 1) % 16) == 10
+			((fcycle + 1) % 16) == 10 &&
+			((acycle + 1) % 2) == 0
 			);
 	}
 
-	public void step()
+	void step()
 	{
 		fcycle = (fcycle + 1) % 1024;
 		simulate(fcycle % 16);
@@ -2115,6 +2116,10 @@ public class Micropolis
 
 	public void animate()
 	{
+		this.acycle = (this.acycle+1) % 960;
+		if (this.acycle % 2 == 0) {
+			step();
+		}
 		moveObjects();
 		animateTiles();
 	}
diff --git a/src/micropolisj/engine/Speed.java b/src/micropolisj/engine/Speed.java
index 935e038..17c3b21 100644
--- a/src/micropolisj/engine/Speed.java
+++ b/src/micropolisj/engine/Speed.java
@@ -10,28 +10,28 @@ package micropolisj.engine;
 
 /**
  * Lists the simulation speeds available.
+ * Contains properties identifying how often the animation timer fires,
+ * and how many animation steps are fired at each interval.
+ * Note: for every 2 animation steps, one simulation step is triggered.
  */
 public enum Speed
 {
-	PAUSED    ( 999,999,  0),
-	SLOW      ( 250,  5,  1),   //one step every 1250 ms
-	NORMAL    ( 125,  2,  1),   //one step every 250 ms
-	FAST      (  50,  1,  1),   //one step every 50 ms
-	SUPER_FAST(  50,  1,  5);   //one step every 10 ms
+	PAUSED    ( 999,  0),
+	SLOW      ( 625,  1),   //one sim step every 1250 ms
+	NORMAL    ( 125,  1),   //one sim step every 250 ms
+	FAST      (  25,  1),   //one sim step every 50 ms
+	SUPER_FAST(  25,  5);   //one sim step every 10 ms
 
 	/** The animation speed, expressed as an interval in milliseconds. */
 	public final int animationDelay;
-	/** For slower speeds, how many animation occur for every simulation step.
-	 * Faster speeds should set this to one. */
-	public final int aniFramesPerStep;
+
 	/** For faster speeds, how many simulation steps should occur for every
 	 * update to the screen. */
 	public final int simStepsPerUpdate;
 
-	private Speed(int delay, int aniFrames, int simSteps)
+	private Speed(int delay, int simSteps)
 	{
 		this.animationDelay = delay;
-		this.aniFramesPerStep = aniFrames;
 		this.simStepsPerUpdate = simSteps;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/micropolisj/gui/MainWindow.java b/src/micropolisj/gui/MainWindow.java
index db91cef..ac69843 100644
--- a/src/micropolisj/gui/MainWindow.java
+++ b/src/micropolisj/gui/MainWindow.java
@@ -1069,7 +1069,6 @@ public class MainWindow extends JFrame
 	private void startTimer()
 	{
 		final Micropolis engine = getEngine();
-		final int updateCycle = engine.simSpeed.aniFramesPerStep;
 		final int count = engine.simSpeed.simStepsPerUpdate;
 
 		assert !isTimerActive();
@@ -1096,23 +1095,18 @@ public class MainWindow extends JFrame
 		ActionListener taskPerformer = new ActionListener() {
 		public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent evt)
 		{
-			engine.acycle = (engine.acycle+1) % 960;
-			if (engine.acycle % updateCycle == 0)
+			for (int i = 0; i < count; i++)
 			{
-				for (int i = 0; i < count; i++)
+				engine.animate();
+				if (!engine.autoBudget && engine.isBudgetTime())
 				{
-					if (!engine.autoBudget && engine.isBudgetTime())
-					{
-						stopTimer(); //redundant
-						showBudgetWindow(true);
-						return;
-					}
-					engine.step();
-					dirty2 = true;
+					stopTimer(); //redundant
+					showBudgetWindow(true);
+					return;
 				}
 			}
-			engine.animate();
 			updateDateLabel();
+			dirty2 = true;
 		}};
 
 		assert simTimer == null;
@@ -1308,11 +1302,6 @@ public class MainWindow extends JFrame
 		BudgetDialog dlg = new BudgetDialog(this, getEngine());
 		dlg.setModal(true);
 		dlg.setVisible(true);
-
-		if (isEndOfYear) {
-			getEngine().step();
-		}
-
 		startTimer();
 	}