City Council
MEETING DATE: 3/25/2015
TITLE:
Title
Adoption of the 2015 City Speed Limits Ordinance
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FROM:
Pat Milos, Director of Community Development
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the 2015 City Speed Limits Ordinance.
Body
BACKGROUND:
On October 28, 2009, City Council approved the first reading of Ordinance No. 684, amending section 12.20.010 of the Cathedral City Municipal Code relating to the designation of SPECIAL SPEED LIMITS in the City. In November 2009, the City Council approved the second reading of the Ordinance, and the revised 2009 Speed Limits became effective 30 days thereafter. The Council was acting on the recommendation of the Streets and Transportation Commission, who reviewed and approved a citywide Speed Limits Study by registered Traffic Engineer Bill Darnell of Darnell & Associates of San Diego.
Speed Limits on California roadways are set after professional speed surveys are completed by registered traffic engineers. These speed surveys were most commonly re-reviewed by municipal agencies on a reoccurring basis every 5 years in California. In recent years, the California traffic regulations were revised, and new speed limit studies are now only required when the characteristics of roadway segments are revised in a manner that would increase traffic volumes and/or speeds (mostly commonly by roadway widening). These Special Speed limits pertain only to General Plan roadways (i.e. Major, Secondary and Collector roads), and all other residential roadways are established statewide at 25 mph.
The Speed Limits Studies are also required to allow the Cathedral City Police Department to write citations to speeders on each roadway. When roadway characteristics significantly change on specific segments, it triggers the need for an updated Speed Limits Study on those specific roadway segments and an Ordinance Amendment.
DISCUSSION:
Since 2009 there have onl...
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