REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director Public Works Department BY: ANDREW J. BENELLI, PE, City Engineer / Assistant Director Traffic Operations and Planning Division, Public Works Department JILL GORMLEY, Public Works Manager Traffic Operations and Planning Division, Public Works Department SUBJECT ..Title ***BILL B-44 - (Intro 10/14/2021) (For Adoption) 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 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, 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, September 27, 2018, September 26, 2019, and October 15, 2020. This amendment (or regular update) is relatively minor in scope. The updated list includes posting 21 previously "unposted" and/or newly constructed segments of roadway, lowering the speed limit on seven (7) segments of roadway and listing five (5) 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 COUNCIL DISTRICT PREVIOUS SPEED LIMIT RECOMMENDED SPEED LIMIT Alamos Chestnut Backer 4 NP 30 MPH Alluvial Van Ness Marks 2 35 MPH 30 MPH Backer Shaw Alamos 4 NP 30 MPH Bluff Van Ness Monte 2 NP 30 MPH Blythe Ashlan SR 99 1 NP 30 MPH Chestnut Alamos Shaw 4 NP 30 MPH Fir Dearing Whitney 6 NP 30 MPH Glenn Audubon Delmar 2 NP 30 MPH Huntington Chestnut Cedar 5, 7 35 MPH 30 MPH Jacquelyn Gates Cornelia 2 NP 30 MPH Jennifer Gates Cornelia 2 NP 30 MPH McMillin Clovis Church 5 35 MPH 30 MPH Monte Bluff Alluvial 2 NP 30 MPH Tulare Clovis Argyle 5 NP 30 MPH Ventura Orchard First 3 30 MPH1 30 MPH Whitesbridge Trinity Thorne 3 35 MPH 30 MPH Butler Minnewawa Peach 5 40 MPH 35 MPH Carmen Chestnut Maple 7 NP 35 MPH Cedar Annadale Jensen bypass 5 35 MPH1 35 MPH Malaga Maple Cedar 3 NP 35 MPH Maroa Clinton Shields 1, 7 40 MPH 35 MPH Annadale Cedar Maple 5 40 MPH1 40 MPH Malaga Maple Chestnut 3 NP 40 MPH Shields Marks Valentine 1, 3 45 MPH 40 MPH Dakota Polk Hayes 1 NP 45 MPH Hayes Ashlan Shaw 1 45 MPH1 45 MPH Herndon Blackstone Fresno 6 45 MPH1 45 MPH Olive Armstrong Clovis 4 NP 45 MPH Shields Temperance Locan 4 NP 45 MPH Temperance McKenzie Belmont 5 NP 45 MPH Cedar Central Malaga 3 NP 50 MPH Marks Jensen California 3 55 MPH 50 MPH North West Hughes 3 NP 50 MPH North Fruit Walnut 3 NP 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 - 2021