REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
BY: jill m. Gormley, TE, Assistant Director
Public Works Department, Traffic & Engineering Services Division
AIMEE SCRIVNER, Chief Engineering Technician
Public Works Department, Traffic Operations and Planning
SUBJECT
Title
BILL - (For Introduction) Amending the uncodified ordinance to adopt changes and additions to the official list of designated special speed zones for various streets within the City of Fresno pursuant to Section 14-1501 of the Fresno Municipal Code. (Citywide)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the attached Special Speed Zone Ordinance be introduced at this time, prior to the final adoption at the next scheduled meeting of the City Council.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this item is to introduce an amended Ordinance to update the official list of designated special speed zones pursuant to Section 14-1501 of the Fresno Municipal Code (FMC). The update is to reflect speed changes and additions which have been made due to development, increased traffic volumes, annexations, locations not included in the previous ordinance, and construction of new streets and various locations in the City of Fresno. Engineering and traffic surveys have been completed for each speed zone listed to determine speed limits which are “reasonable and safe” as defined in accordance with the requirements of the California Vehicle Code (CVC).
BACKGROUND
The CVC authorizes local authorities to determine and regulate speed limits on streets under local jurisdiction, subject to certain requirements. Pursuant to CVC Sections 22357 and 22358, speed limits may be adopted in five (5) miles per hour (mph) increments ranging from 25 mph to 65 mph and must be justified based on engineering and traffic surveys. At the local level, FMC Section 14-1501 provides for an Official List of Special Speed Zones to be kept in the form of an uncodified ordinance. For this reason, it is not necessary to amend the FMC itself each time speed zones are changed or added.
Assembly Bill (AB) 43 was signed by Governor Newsom in 2021 and amended CVC Section 22358 allowing the consideration of additional provisions to set speed limits on local roadways. In addition to the completion of an engineering and traffic survey, Section 22358.7 was added allowing for reductions of a posted speed limit along a portion of roadway on a designated safety corridor or adjacent to any land or facility that generates high concentrations of bicyclists or pedestrians. Per Section 22358.7, use of these additional provisions was not available for use by the local authority until June 30, 2024, or until the Judicial Council developed an online tool for adjudicating infraction violations statewide as specified in Article 7 (commencing with Section 68645) of Chapter 2 of Title 8 of the Government Code, whichever was sooner. Between April 2019 and April 2021 Fresno was one of seven counties to participate in the two-year pilot developed online tool, MyCitations. Several changes were made to MyCitations since the implementation of the online tool to tackle technical and developmental changes. MyCitations is live for use through County of Fresno, Superior Court of California. Staff has utilized the additional provisions for speed limit reductions in the 2024 Special Speed Zone Ordinance.
A comprehensive speed zone ordinance was adopted by Council on February 1, 1965, and minor updates were made on July 26, 2005, August 29, 2006, September 18, 2007, July 22, 2008, September 30, 2010, September 22, 2011, March 7, 2013, August 28, 2014, August 21, 2016, September 28, 2017, September 27, 2018, September 26, 2019, October 15, 2020, and October 14, 2021, November 3, 2022, and November 28, 2023. This amendment (or regular update) is relatively minor in scope. The updated list includes posting one (1) previously “unposted” and/or newly constructed segments of roadway, lowering the speed limit on thirteen (13) segments of roadway and listing four (4) segments omitted from previous Speed Ordinances. Engineering and traffic surveys in compliance with CVC requirements were completed for each zone listed.
The chart below summarizes the proposed speed limit changes and additions:
|
STREET |
FROM |
TO |
PREVIOUS |
RECOMMENDED |
|
WELDON |
BLACKSTONE |
400’W/O BLACKSTONE |
25 MPH1 |
25 MPH |
|
UNIVERSITY |
BLACKSTONE |
CALAVERAS |
25 MPH1 |
25 MPH |
|
FRUIT |
WEBER |
OLIVE |
35 MPH |
30 MPH |
|
CLARK |
GETTYSBURG |
SANTA ANA |
35 MPH1 |
35 MPH |
|
AUDUBON |
FIRST |
COLE |
40 MPH |
35 MPH |
|
AUDUBON |
COLE |
FRIANT |
40 MPH |
35 MPH |
|
AUDUBON |
FRIANT |
SR 41 |
40 MPH |
35 MPH |
|
AUDUBON |
SR 41 |
DEL MAR |
40 MPH |
35 MPH |
|
AUDUBON |
DEL MAR |
NEES |
40 MPH |
35 MPH |
|
BEHYMER |
GRANVILLE |
MAPLE |
40 MPH |
35 MPH |
|
FIRST |
NEES |
FIRST ST. |
40 MPH |
35 MPH |
|
BULLARD |
GRANTLAND |
BRYAN |
35 MPH1 |
35 MPH |
|
VETERANS |
HAYES |
POLK |
*** |
45 MPH |
|
FRIANT |
SHEPHERD |
FORT WASHINGTON |
50 MPH |
45 MPH |
|
FRIANT |
FORT WASHINGTON |
CHAMPLAIN |
50 MPH |
45 MPH |
|
FRIANT |
CHAMPLAIN |
LAKEVIEW |
50 MPH |
45 MPH |
|
FRIANT |
LAKEVIEW |
COPPER |
50 MPH |
45 MPH |
|
FRIANT |
COPPER |
COPPER RIVER |
55 MPH |
50 MPH |
|
MPH = Miles per hour |
|
|
|
|
1=Not included in previous updates |
|
|
|
|
***= newly constructed roadway segments |
|
|
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a “project” for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378, as updating the Speed Zone Ordinance will not result in direct or indirect physical changes to the environment.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference does not apply because updating the Special Speed Zone Ordinance does not include a bid or an award of a construction or services contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
No fiscal impact will occur as a result of updating the Special Speed Zone Ordinance. Maintenance and replacement of traffic signs is a regular budgeted expense which will not change because of this update.
Attachments:
Amended Ordinance
Proposed Speed Limit Changes & Additions - 2024