The Updated Speed Limits Will Be Rolled out This Fall, With New Signage to Reflect the Changes
The Santa Monica City Council unanimously approved new speed limits for over 30 miles of city streets, a move aimed at enhancing roadway safety for all users. The decision, made on Tuesday, follows a comprehensive speed survey conducted from Jan. 27 to July 29, which evaluated vehicular speeds to determine effective limits.
The updated speed limits will be rolled out this fall, with new signage to reflect the changes. The ordinance is set to take effect 30 days after a second reading on Sept. 10.
Among the changes, numerous streets will see reductions in their speed limits. Olympic Boulevard will drop from 40 to 35 mph between 11th Street and Centinela Avenue. Lincoln Boulevard, Ocean Park Boulevard, and Pico Boulevard will all decrease from 35 to 30 mph on their respective segments. Several streets, including 2nd Street, 4th Street, and 20th Street, will see reductions from 30 to 25 mph, as well as others like Colorado Avenue and Main Street.
Additionally, speed limits will be cut to 20 mph on several roads such as 6th Street, 20th Street, and Appian Way. Other streets, including Ashland Avenue and Barnard Way, will also see similar reductions. The speed limit on California Avenue, a 0.3-mile segment between Pacific Coast Highway and Ocean Avenue, will be the only increase, rising from 25 to 30 mph.
The speed adjustments align with the city’s Vision Zero initiative, adopted in February 2016, which aims to eliminate fatal and severe injury crashes.
Anuj Gupta, Director of the Department of Transportation, emphasized the importance of these changes, stating, “Reducing vehicle speeds on our roads is vital to creating safer conditions for getting around in our city.”
