Proposed Speed Limit Changes Subject of Meeting

A public meeting to discuss speed limit changes for 26 streets segments in town will be held tonight.

The changes will be proposed to the City Council on Monday. Staff is recommending the council increase speed limits by at least 5 mph on 20 street segments. The proposal also calls for decreasing speed limits on six roadway segments in town.

Assistant City Engineer Bob Vinn said the revisions are in response to speed-limit surveys that cities are required to conduct every five to 10 years.

The surveys help set new speed limits in town and allow police to use radar to enforce speed limits, Vinn said.

"In an urban environment with short street blocks, a radar is the only tool that can be used to enforce speed limits," he said.

Traffic surveys on 103 street segments were held in the fall .

Speed limits were set by recording how fast 85 percent of a random sample of 100 motorists were driving, Vinn said.

The last time the city updated its speed limits was in 2001.

In 2006, staff found no reason to change speed limits in town and received an extension for five years, Vinn said.

Those extensions will expire in the next few months.

Locations for the proposed new speed limits will be released today on the city's website and at the community meeting.

Tonight's meeting will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the , 3575 Pacific Ave. For more information, call 925-960-4500.