TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
David N. Carmany, City Manager
FROM:
Richard Thompson, Community Development Director
Nhung Madrid, Management Analyst
Erik Zandvliet, T.E., City Traffic Engineer
SUBJECT:Title
Ordinance No. 13-0003 Amending Speed Limits Pursuant to the 2013 Engineering and Traffic Survey.
ADOPT ORDINANCE NO. 13-0003
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt Ordinance No. 13-0003 to amend speed limits on certain street segments within the City pursuant to the 2013 Engineering and Traffic Survey.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Implementation of the identified speed limit changes will require modification of existing signs and markings. These speed limit sign and marking changes will be funded through existing Public Works Department operating budgets.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
One of the most frequently used methods of managing automobile travel speeds is the posted speed limit. According to the Federal Highway Administration, the setting of speed limits predates the automobile by some 200 years, when Newport, Rhode Island, prohibited the horses galloping on major thoroughfares to prevent pedestrian deaths. Similarly, Boston, Massachusetts, limited horse-drawn carriages to "foot pace" on Sundays to protect church-goers.
Fast forward to today - safety obviously remains the main goal. Selecting an appropriate speed limit for a public street can be a polarizing issue. Residents and vulnerable road users generally seek lower speeds to promote quality of life for the community and increased security for pedestrians and cyclists; motorists seek higher speeds that minimize travel time. Despite the controversy surrounding maximum speed limits, speed limits are set to increase safety within the context of retaining reasonable mobility.
Maximum speed limits are laws; therefore, s...
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