SR-6-W (10)
llLUTM:PB:RF:JR:jr
California
Council Meeting, January 22, 1991
6-av
IAN .,-) 1('1~1
.J f~ .;(;J;jj
Santa Monica I
To:
Mayor and City Council
From:
City staff
Subject:
Recommendation to Establish New Posted Speed Limits
on Various Street Segments Throughout the City.
Introduction
This report recommends the City Council direct the city Attorney to
prepare an ordinance establishing speed limits on various city
street segments.
Background
The State of California requires that an engineering and traffic
survey be taken every five years on all streets included in the
city's select street system to justify the posted speed limit. If
an engineering and traffic survey is not completed every five years
it inhibits the city's ability to enforce and prosecute violations.
Radar enforcement is specifically prohibited on any street segments
without a current engineering and traffic survey.
The only
exception to these rules are local residentlal streets not wider
than 40 feet curb to curb.
An engineering and traffic survey consists of the sampling of
vehicles in a free flow condition to determine the prevailing speed
at which vehlcles travel along a specific street segment; the
1
6-W
JAN
') ri
{.... (-
"~-JI
"'OJ...;.
accident rate for the same street segment ~ and any unusual
conditions such as public facilities, curves or narrow traffic
lanes which may be along the specific street segment. All of these
factors are taken into consideration in determining the appropriate
speed limit for a street segment.
The current engineering and traffic surveys expired at the end of
June, 1990. New engineering and traffic surveys have now been
completed for all street segments.
The review of the engineering and traffic surveys indicate that
there are various street segments that require changes of the
existing posted speed limits to conform with the previously
discussed requirements established by the state of California for
the posting of speed limits. Exhibit "An is a list of the street
segments, the existing posted speed limit, the 50th and 85th
percentile and the recommended posted speed limit.
According to the state Traffic Manual, speed limits should be
established preferably at or near the 85 percentile speed, which is
defined as that speed at or below which 85 percent of the traffic
is moving. The median speed (50%) is the average speed vehicles
are traveling on these streets and can be used as a reference
point in the analysis of the speed data.
It should be noted that there have been many studies as to the
2
effect of posting various speed limits along a specific street and
the speed at which vehicles travel. The results of these studies
indicate that the vast majority of vehicle drivers travel at a
speed which they believe is safe and that the changing of the
posted speed limit has little or no effect as to the speed at which
they travel. That is, drivers unilaterally determine what is a
safe speed. The state Traffic Manual reflects this by directing
that speed limits be set by engineering and traffic surveys.
Budqet/Fiscal Impact
There is no budget/fiscal impact.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the city Council direct the city Attorney to
prepare an ordinance establishing speed 1 imi ts recommended on
Exhibit "A" on various city street segments.
Prepared by: Paul Berlant, Director of Land use and Transportation
Management
Ron Fuchiwaki, city Parking & Traffic Engineer
Jamal Rahimi, Senior Traffic Engineer
Attachment: Exhibit "A", Engineering and traffic survey
recommendations
3
EXHIBIT "All
Street segment
Existing Posted
Speed Limit
(MPH)
Ocean Ave. bet.
California and
Colorado
Ocean Ave. bet.
Colorado and
Pico
Ocean Ave. bet.
Pico & Hollister '
2nd st. bet.
Montana & Colorado
11th St. bet.
Wilshire & pico
14th st. bet.
Wilshire & Pico
16th St. bet.
San vicente & Wilshire
16th St. bet.
Wilshire & pico
17th St. bet.
Wilshire & pico
20th st. bet.
San vicente & Montana
Cloverfield Bl. bet.
Santa Monica & Pico
San vicente B1. bet.
7th &17th Street
San Vicente Bl. bet.
17th & 26th street
wilshire Bl. bet.
Ocean Ave. & Lincoln
30
30
30
None
30
30
None
None
30
25
30
45
45
30
50th%
(MPH)
33
31
31
29
30
30
29
30
32
26
32
31
31
30
85th%
(MPH)
36
35
34
33
34
34
32
33
36
30
35
36
36
34
Recommended
Speed Limit
(MPH)
35
35
35
30
35
35
30
30
35
30
35
35
35
35
Santa Monica Bl. bet.
Ocean Ave. & Lincoln
Broadway between
Ocean Ave. & Lincoln
Broadway between
Lincoln & 20th st.
Broadway between
20th & 26th Street
Olympic Bl. bet.
11th & Cloverfield
Olympic Bl. bet.
Cloverfield &
Centinela
Pearl st. bet.
Lincoln & 20th
Pearl st. bet.
20th & centinela
Ocean Park Bl. bet.
Barnard Wy. & Lincoln
Ashland Ave. bet.
Lincoln & 23rd
Marine st. bet.
Lincoln & 17th
30
31
30
31
30
32
30
31
45
36
45
41
None
29
None
30
30
36
None
29
30
20
35
35
35
35
36
35
35
35
41
40
46
40
32
30
33
30
41
35
33
30
23
25