Speed limits go up…and down
by Andrea Ruse
The City Council Tuesday night voted to change speed limits throughout the city, mostly in residential areas.
The speed limits along seven streets — including segments of Ardmore, Highland, Marine, and Pacific avenues, Manhattan Beach Boulevard. and 2nd Street — will be increased by five miles per hour. Speed limits on portions of Manhattan Ave. and Valley Dr. will be reduced by five miles per hour.
“This is not local control,” Mayor Pro Tem Richard Montgomery said. “This is your friend in Sacramento. It’s not the city trying to unjustly raise revenues.”
In a 4-1 decision, the council chose to alter the speed limits based on a traffic survey conducted last year. The study was required by California’s Speed Trap Law, which states that cities using police radars for traffic enforcement must update posted limits every five to 10 years.
“If people want to contest a ticket, the case can be dismissed if the speed limit is not posted correctly according to state guidelines,” city traffic engineer Erik Zandvliet said. “The guideline is to establish the speed limit at which most of the drivers are driving.”
According to state law, limits must be set based on the speed at which 85 percent of motorists are driving at or below during traffic surveys. Speed limits are set to the nearest five mph increment of that speed.
Resident Esther Besbris said motorists already speed unsafely through her neighborhood near 2nd St. and that increasing the speed limit from 25 to 30 mph will make it worse.
“You’ll make it easier for people to go faster,” Besbris said. “When they see higher speed limits, they do accelerate.”
Council members expressed concern over increasing speed limits on some residential streets, including Marine Avenue and 2nd Street.
“We have our hands tied by Sacramento,” Mayor Pro Tem Richard Montgomery said. “We want the right to address our own concerns in our own city. As unfavorable as we look on Sacramento’s decision, if we don’t comply, then you take away our enforcement process.”
The city has the option to reduce speed limits up to 5 mph on streets they show to have special conditions not readily apparent to motorists.
The new speed limits will be effective in April.
Zandvliet noted traffic studies show that motorists will drive at the speed they think is safe, regardless of posted speed limits.
“Drivers drive at the speed they feel is reasonable,” he said. “The purpose of a speed limit is to make either more or fewer violators. Drivers will drive the same unless the street physically looks different.”
Zandvliet suggested the addition of bike lanes, speed bumps, and switchbacks as ways to reduce speeds.
“People drive per condition and less to the speed limit,” Councilmember Nick Tell said. “So really if we want to change habits, we have to change the conditions. We welcome anyone that wants to talk about that.” ER