REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL September 26, 2019 FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director Public Works Department THROUGH: ANDREW J. BENELLI, PE, City Engineer/Assistant Director Public Works Department BY: JILL GORMLEY, TE, City Traffic Engineer / Public Works Manager Public Works Department, Traffic Operations & 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 The purpose of this item is to introduce 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 update is to reflect speed changes and additions which have been made due to development, increased traffic volumes, annexations, locations not captured in previous ordinance updates and construction of new streets in 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, September 28, 2017 and September 27, 2018. This amendment (or regular update) is relatively minor in scope. The updated list includes posting 26 previously "unposted" and/or newly constructed segments of roadway, lowering the speed limit on 17 segments of roadway and listing three (3) 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 Barton Ashlan Hampton Way NP 25 MPH Colfax Audubon Shepherd NP 25 MPH College Clinton Weldon NP 25 MPH Commerce East 700' East of East NP 25 MPH Del Mar San Jose Shaw 30 MPH 25 MPH Floradora First Cedar NP 25 MPH Hampton Way Cedar Barton NP 25 MPH M Street San Pablo Stanislaus 30 MPH 25 MPH McKenzie Willow Chestnut NP 25 MPH Millbrook Bullard Sierra 30 MPH 25 MPH Minnewawa Church Pitt NP 25 MPH Sierra First Fresno NP 25 MPH Spruce Harrison Thorne NP 25 MPH Sunnyside Belmont McKenzie NP 25 MPH Sunnyside Fancher Creek Kings Canyon NP 25 MPH Tuolumne Fulton P Street 30 MPH 25 MPH Weldon College Maroa NP 25 MPH Annadale Cherry East NP 30 MPH Broadway East Inyo NP 30 MPH California East Orange 35 MPH 30 MPH East Golden State Jensen NP 30 MPH First Hazelwood Parallel NP 30 MPH Liberty Hill Champlain Perrin 35 MPH 30 MPH Parkway Brawley 1,000' south of Brawley 45 MPH 30 MPH Pleasant Vassar Weldon NP 30 MPH Tulare State Route 41 California 30 MPH1 30 MPH Weldon Pleasant Woodson *** 30 MPH Woodson McKinley Weldon 40 MPH1 30 MPH Abby Belmont Divisadero 40 MPH 35 MPH Gettysburg Chestnut Winery 40 MPH 35 MPH Millbrook Fort Washington Liberty Hill 40 MPH 35 MPH Armstrong Burgan Kings Canyon NP 40 MPH Butler Armstrong Temperance 40 MPH1 40 MPH Dante Butler Polk 45 MPH 40 MPH East Annadale North 45 MPH 40 MPH Hughes Kearney Whitesbridge 45 MPH 40 MPH Maple Copper Plymouth 45 MPH 40 MPH North Cherry Elm 45 MPH 40 MPH North Cedar Orange 45 MPH 40 MPH Palm Herndon Nees 45 MPH 40 MPH Armstrong California Church NP 45 MPH Bryan Ashlan Shaw NP 45 MPH Church Armstrong Fowler NP 45 MPH Locan Ramona Shields NP 45 MPH Belmont Armstrong Temperance NP 50 MPH Jensen Clovis Fowler NP 60 MPH NP = Speed limit "not posted" MPH = miles per hour 1= Not included in previous updates *** = 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