ITEM 8-F

Council Meeting, October 10,1995   Santa Monica, California


TO:       Mayor and City Council

FROM:     City Staff

SUBJECT:  Ordinance Amending Santa Monica Municipal Code         
          Section 3.12.490 to Establish Posted Speed Limits on   
          Broadway and Neilson Way 

Introduction
This report recommends that the City Council introduce for 
first reading the attached ordinance amending Santa Monica 
Municipal Code Section 3.12.490 to establish posted speed 
limits on Broadway and Neilson Way.

Background
The California Vehicle Code (CVC) requires that an 
enginering and traffic survey be conducted every five years 
to justify posted speed limits.  If an engineering and 
traffic survey is not completed every five years it inhibits 
the city’s ability to effectively enforce and prosecute 
violations.  Radar enforcement is specifically prohibited on 
any street segment without a current engineering and traffic 
survey.

Engineering and Traffic Surveys
Section 627 of the Vehicle Code defines the three 
requirements of an engineering and traffic survey. One part 
of the survey is the consideration of the accident record 
for those street segments for the last two years.  The 
second consideration is any unusual conditions or 
characteristics including safe stopping sight distance, 
superelevation (the “Bank” in the roadway), the land use 
abbuting the roadway, shoulder conditions, pedestrian 
traffic, curved or narrow traffic lanes or commercial 
driveway characteristics.  Finally, a sampling of vehicle 
speeds in a free flow condition is conducted.  The premise 
of this sampling is that a reasonable and effective speed 
limit is one that conforms to the actual behavior of the 
majority of motorists.

According to the State Traffic Manual, the speed limit 
normally should be established at the first five mile per 
hour increment below the 85th percentile speed.  The 85th 
percentile is that speed at or below which 85 percent of the 
traffic is moving.  The 85th percentile is often referred to 
as the critical speed.  However, in matching existing 
conditions with the traffic safety needs of the community, 
engineering judgement may indicate the need for a further 
reduction of five miles per hour.  The factors justifying 
such a further reduction are the same factors mentioned 
above.  Whenever such factors are considered to establish 
the speed limit, they should be documented on the speed zone 
survey or the accompanying engineering report.  The 
establishment of a speed limit of more than five miles per 
hour below the 85th percentile (critical) speed should be 
done with great care as this may make violators of a 
disproportionate number of the reasonable majority of 
drivers.

Proposed Changes
The current engineering and traffic surveys expire in 1995.  
New engineering and traffic surveys have been completed for 
all street segments.  The review of the engineering and 
traffic surveys indicates a requirement to change the 
existing posted speed limit on Broadway and Neilson Way to 
conform with the previously discussed requirements 
established by the State of California for the posting of 
speed limits.  The attached ordinance incorporates the 
recommended changes.

Recommended Speed Limit Changes
Street         Existing Speed Limit     Proposed Speed Limit
BROADWAY (1)             35                       30
between Lincoln Bl.
and Centinela Ave.

NEILSON WAY (2)          35                       30
between Pico Bl. and
south City limit

(1) Critical Speed: 36 miles per hour
(2) Critical Speed: 32 miles per hour
                    
The decrease of the speed limits is in compliance with the 
engineering and traffic survey and would provide a uniform 
30 mile per hour speed limit along the entire length of 
these two roadways. Additional justification for such 
decrease in speed limits would be based on the residential 
nature of the land uses along these streets, multiple 
pedestrian crosswalks, narrow lanes and lack of left turn 
pockets along Neilson Way and 85th percentile speeds and 
continuity of speed limit along Broadway.  

Budget/Financial Impact

There is no budget/fiscal impact.  The cost of sign 
installations or modifications can be absorbed within the 
division’s budget. 

Recommendation

It is respectfully recommended that the City Council 
introduce the accompanying ordinance amending Santa Monica 
Code Section 3.12.490 to establish posted speed limits on 
Broadway and Neilson Way. 

Prepared by:   Suzanne Frick, Director of Planning and      
               Community Development
               Ron Fuchiwaki, City Parking and Traffic      
               Engineer
               Jamal Rahimi, Senior Traffic Engineer



4