REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL 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 JILL M. GORMLEY, TE, City Traffic Engineer/Traffic Operations and Planning Manager Public Works Department, Traffic Operations and Planning 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) (Subject to Mayor's veto) ..Body RECOMMENDATION 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 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, 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, September 27, 2018, September 26, 2019, October 15, 2020, and October 14, 2021. This amendment (or regular update) is relatively minor in scope. The updated list includes posting Ten (10) previously "unposted" and/or newly constructed segments of roadway, lowering the speed limit on thirteen (13) segments of roadway and listing sixteen (16) 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 RECOMMENDED TUOLUMNE P STREET DIVISADERO 25 MPH1 25 MPH ECHO MCKINLEY WELDON 30 MPH1 30 MPH FANCHER CREEK ARMSTRONG near Kerckhoff ARMSTRONG near Laverne Ave *** 30 MPH H STREET VENTURA TULARE 30 MPH1 30 MPH HERNDON N/FTG FRUIT TEILMAN NP 30 MPH O STREET VENTURA BUTLER 30 MPH1 30 MPH UNIVERSITY WEST WEBER 30 MPH1 30 MPH WINERY BUTLER KINGS CANYON 30 MPH1 30 MPH BARSTOW GOLDEN STATE BARCUS 35 MPH1 35 MPH BLACKSTONE OLIVE DIVISADERO 40 MPH 35 MPH CALIFORNIA VAN NESS EAST 35 MPH1 35 MPH CHESTNUT SHAW BARSTOW 40 MPH 35 MPH HAYES HERNDON SPRUCE NP 35 MPH JEANNE CECILIA PALO ALTO 35 MPH1 35 MPH MAPLE GETTYSBURG SHAW 40 MPH 35 MPH MCKINLEY FIRST BLACKSTONE 40 MPH 35 MPH SANTA FE TULARE VENTURA 35 MPH1 35 MPH ARMSTRONG BELMONT FANCHER CREEK 40 MPH1 40 MPH CHESTNUT BULLARD SIERRA 45 MPH 40 MPH CLINTON FOWLER CLOVIS 45 MPH 40 MPH MAROA SHIELDS DAKOTA 40 MPH1 40 MPH NEES MILLBROOK WILLOW 45 MPH 40 MPH POLK DAKOTA ASHLAN 45 MPH 40 MPH POLK OLIVE MCKINLEY 45 MPH 40 MPH SOMMERVILLE SHEPHERD PLYMOUTH 45 MPH 40 MPH WEBER CLINTON SHIELDS 45 MPH 40 MPH BELMONT MARKS VALENTINE NP 45 MPH DAKOTA CEDAR FINE 50 MPH 45 MPH FOWLER JENSEN CHURCH 50 MPH 45 MPH GARFIELD SHAW 950 FEET N/OF BARSTOW NP 45 MPH GRANTLAND ASHLAN GETTYSBURG NP 45 MPH LOCAN CLINTON SHIELDS NP 45 MPH MAPLE MALAGA CENTRAL 45 MPH1 45 MPH NORTH CHERRY ORANGE 45 MPH1 45 MPH CEDAR CENTRAL MUSCAT NP 50 MPH GRANTLAND SHIELDS ASHLAN NP 50 MPH MARKS CALIFORNIA KEARNEY 50 MPH1 50 MPH WILLOW BEHYMER COPPER 50 MPH1 50 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. Attachments: Amended Ordinance Proposed Speed Limit Changes & Additions - 2022