TITLE
Recommendation to request City Attorney to prepare an ordinance amending Long Beach Municipal Code Sections 10.12.010 to 10.12.030, relating to Speed Limits on City Streets, on the street segments listed in Attachment A. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
On July 14, 2020, City Council adopted the Safe Streets Long Beach plan (Plan), which aims to reduce fatal and serious injury collisions to zero by 2026. The Plan identifies driving “too fast for conditions” as the leading cause of fatal and injury collisions. Keystone Action #2 of the Plan directs staff to reduce vehicle speed limits, where consistent with the Vehicle Code requirements, to reduce the likelihood of fatal and injury collisions by targeting “identified high-injury corridors and intersections for lane reductions and other speed management strategies.” After a review of vehicle speeds on high-injury corridors and other arterial roadways citywide, the Public Works Department is recommending the strategy of reducing posted speed limits where permitted by the California Vehicle Code.
Under the provisions of Section 40802 of the California Vehicle Code, engineering and traffic surveys are a necessary prerequisite to radar enforcement of speed limits. Any posted limit, other than the maximum limit of 65 miles per hour (mph) or the prima facie 25 mph limit on local streets in a business or residential district, must be justified by such a survey to employ radar enforcement. The City updates the engineering and traffic surveys for each speed zone approximately every five years to validate speed limits and to facilitate enforcement within Long Beach.
Based upon the results of engineering and traffic surveys recently conducted and approved by the City Traffic Engineer on arterial streets, 12 arterial street segments warrant a decrease of their existing speed limits. Other segment limits must be adjusted to account for changes in right-of-way and adjacent uses. Those segments warranted no change in existing limits and will remain enforceable based upon their updated surveys. The following street segments, as highlighted on the attached vicinity map (Attachment B), are recommended for change in speed limit:
|
Street |
From |
To |
Current Limit |
Proposed Limit |
|
Second Street |
Naples Plaza |
Marina Drive |
40 |
35 |
|
Second Street |
Marina Drive |
Studebaker Road |
50 |
40 |
|
Sixth Street |
Atlantic Avenue |
Alamitos Avenue |
30 |
25 |
|
Atherton Street |
Bellflower Boulevard |
Palo Verde Avenue |
40 |
35 |
|
Bellflower Boulevard |
Abbeyfield Street |
Atherton Street |
40 |
35 |
|
Bellflower Boulevard |
Pacific Coast Highway |
Loynes Drive |
35 |
30 |
|
Magnolia Avenue |
Seventh Street |
Anaheim Street |
30 |
25 |
|
Magnolia Avenue |
Willow Street |
Wardlow Road |
35 |
30 |
|
Marina Drive |
Second Street |
Studebaker Road |
35 |
30 |
|
Ocean Boulevard |
Bennett Avenue |
54th Place |
30 |
25 |
|
Shoreline Drive |
Chestnut Place |
Shoreline Village Drive |
40 |
35 |
|
Wardlow Road |
Golden Avenue |
Long Beach Boulevard |
40 |
35 |
|
Belmont Shore Residence District |
25 |
15 |
Action 2.2 of the Plan calls on staff to take action to “Lower speed limits on neighborhood streets to 15-20 mph based on radar surveys.” In accordance with CVC <http://javascript:submitCodesValues('22358.3.','15.7.1','1972','1095','',%20'id_0fad3760-2921-11d9-a1bb-e0ce1cd664b1')>, a traffic study has determined that on the parking-impacted narrow roadways in the Belmont Shore Residence District (defined as all avenues south of Livingston Drive and The Toledo, North of Ocean Boulevard, and west of Bayshore Avenue, except Granada Avenue) justifies a speed limit of less than 25 mph (Attachment C). A posted speed limit of 15 mph in this district is warranted.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Amy R. Webber on July 23, 2021 and by Budget Management Officer Rhutu Amin Gharib on July 27, 2021.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
Council action on this matter is not time critical.
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost of materials and installation of the proposed "Speed Limit" signs is estimated at $30,000. Sufficient funding is budgeted in the General Fund Group in the Public Works Department. This recommendation has no staffing impact beyond the normal budgeted scope of duties and is consistent with existing City Council priorities. There is no local job impact associated with this recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
ERIC LOPEZ
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
APPROVED:
THOMAS B. MODICA
CITY MANAGER