REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL September 27, 2018 FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director Public Works Department BY: ANDREW J. BENELLI, PE, City Engineer/Assistant Director Public Works Department, Traffic Operations and Planning Division JILL GORMLEY, TE, City Traffic Engineer / Traffic Operations and Planning Manager Public Works Department, Traffic Operations and Planning Division SUBJECT ..Title BILL - (For introduction) Amending the uncodified ordinance to adopt changes and additions to the official list of designated special speed zones for various streets within the City of Fresno pursuant to Section 14-1501 of the Fresno Municipal Code (Citywide) ..Body RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends that the attached Special Speed Zone Ordinance be introduced at this time, prior to the final adoption at the next scheduled meeting of the City Council. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Staff is recommending the Council adopt an amended Ordinance to update the official list of designated special speed zones pursuant to Section 14-1501 of the Fresno Municipal Code (FMC). The annual update is prepared to reflect speed changes and additions which have been made due to development, increased traffic volumes, annexations, locations left off of previous ordinance and construction of new streets and various locations in the City of Fresno. Engineering and traffic surveys have been completed for each speed zone listed, in order to determine speed limits which are "reasonable and safe" as defined in accordance with the requirements of the California Vehicle Code (CVC). BACKGROUND The CVC authorizes local authorities to determine and regulate speed limits on streets under local jurisdiction, subject to certain requirements. Pursuant to CVC Sections 22357 and 22358, speed limits may be adopted in five (5) miles per hour (mph) increments ranging from 25 mph to 65 mph, and must be justified on the basis of engineering and traffic surveys. At the local level, FMC Section 14-1501 provides for an Official List of Special Speed Zones to be kept in the form of an uncodified ordinance. For this reason, it is not necessary to amend the FMC itself each time speed zones are changed or added. A comprehensive speed zone ordinance was adopted by Council on February 1, 1965, and minor updates were made on July 26, 2005, August 29, 2006, September 18, 2007, July 22, 2008, September 30, 2010, September 22, 2011, March 7, 2013, August 28, 2014, August 21, 2016 and September 28, 2017. This amendment (or regular update) is relatively minor in scope. The updated list includes posting 16 previously "unposted" and/or newly constructed segments of roadway, lowering the speed limit on 11 segments of roadway and listing four (4) segments omitted from previous Speed Ordinances. Engineering and traffic surveys in compliance with CVC requirements were completed for each zone listed. The chart below summarizes the proposed speed limit changes and additions: STREET FROM TO PREVIOUS SPEED LIMIT RECOMMENDED SPEED LIMIT Winery Kings Canyon Balch 30 MPH1 25 MPH Effie Gettysburg Santa Ana NP 30 MPH Fulton Inyo Ventura NP 30 MPH Heaton M Street Pearl NP 30 MPH Holland Brawley Valentine NP 30 MPH M Street Los Angeles Heaton NP 30 MPH Northpoint North Prime NP 30 MPH Prime Northpoint Orange * 30 MPH Remmington Cromwell Palm NP 30 MPH Tulare First Fwy 41 35 MPH 30 MPH Bullard Blackstone Fresno 40 MPH 35 MPH California East Orange 40 MPH 35 MPH California Armstrong Temperance * 35 MPH Gettysburg Hayes Polk NP 35 MPH Jensen Golden State East 40 MPH 35 MPH Millbrook Shepherd Teague 40 MPH 35 MPH Palm Belmont H Street 40 MPH 35 MPH Perrin Granville Shepherd 40 MPH 35 MPH Blackstone Herndon Nees 45 MPH 40 MPH Brawley Clinton Parkway 45 MPH 40 MPH Clinton Locan Temperance 45 MPH 40 MPH Grantland Mesa Shaw 40 MPH1 40 MPH Martin Luther King Jr Church Jensen 45 MPH 40 MPH Sunland Calwa Church 40 MPH1 40 MPH Armstrong Clinton Shields NP 45 MPH Central East Mary NP 45 MPH Central Cedar 1,200 feet east of Cedar NP 45 MPH Church Fowler 1,200 feet east of Fowler NP 45 MPH Orange Central Railroad NP 45 MPH Central Cedar East NP 50 MPH Fowler Church Jensen NP 50 MPH MPH = miles per hour 1 = Not included in previous updates NP = Speed limit "not posted" * = Newly constructed roadway segments ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS This is not a "project" for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378, as updating the Speed Zone Ordinance will not result in direct or indirect physical changes to the environment. LOCAL PREFERENCE Local preference does not apply because updating the Special Speed Zone Ordinance does not include a bid or an award of a construction or services contract. FISCAL IMPACT No fiscal impact will occur as a result of updating the Special Speed Zone Ordinance. Maintenance and replacement of traffic signs is a regular budgeted expense which will not change as a result of this update. Attachment: Amended Ordinance