30+ Miles Of Santa Monica Streets To Lower Speed Limits

SANTA MONICA, CA — Speed limits on more than 30 miles of streets in Santa Monica will be lowered following approval by the City Council.

The city conducted a speed survey from Jan. 27 through July 29 to ensure speed limits remained valid and measure the speed of a majority of drivers. The study recommended 29 speed limit decreases and only one increase.

The city will begin rolling out new signage and enforcement this fall, officials said. The ordinance will be adopted 30 days after the second reading which is anticipated for Sept. 10.

"Reducing vehicle speeds on our roads is vital to create safer conditions for getting around in our city," Department of Transportation Director Anuj Gupta said. "It is one of the many ways Santa Monica is creating a street network that is more safe, connected and attractive for all roadway users."

Speed limit reductions will include:

• Olympic Boulevard between 11th Street and Centinela Avenue – from 40 to 35 mph
• Lincoln Boulevard between I-10 Freeway and Pico Boulevard – from 35 to 30 mph
• Ocean Park Boulevard between 23rd Street and Centinela Avenue – from 35 to 30 mph
• Pico Boulevard between Lincoln Boulevard and Centinela Avenue – from 35 to 30 mph
• 2nd Street between Wilshire Boulevard and Colorado Avenue — from 30 to 25 mph
• 4th Street between Colorado Avenue and Pico Boulevard — from 30 to 25 mph
• 11th Street between San Vicente Boulevard and Marine Street — from 30 to 25 mph
• 14th Street between San Vicente Boulevard and Ashland Avenue — from 30 to 25 mph
• 20th Street between Wilshire and Pico boulevards — from 30 to 25 mph
• 26th Street between San Vicente and Cloverfield boulevards – from 30 to 25 mph
• Colorado Avenue between Ocean Avenue and 17th Street — from 30 to 25 mph
• Dewey Street between Robson Avenue and 23rd Street — from 30 to 25 mph
• Main Street between Colorado Avenue and Pico Boulevard — from 30 to 25 mph
• Marine Street between Lincoln Boulevard and 17th Street — from 30 to 25 mph
• Montana Avenue between Ocean Avenue and Stanford Street — from 30 to 25 mph
• Neilson Way between Pico Boulevard and Marine Street — from 30 to 25 mph
• Ocean Avenue between the north city limit and Pico Boulevard — from 30 to 25 mph
• Ocean Park Boulevard between Barnard Way and 23rd Street — from 30 to 25 mph
• Pico Boulevard between Appian Way and Lincoln Boulevard — from 35 to 25 mph
• Stewart Street between Colorado Avenue and Pico Boulevard — from 30 to 25 mph
• Wilshire Boulevard between Ocean Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard — from 30 to 25 mph
• 6th Street between Pico Boulevard and Pier Avenue — from 30 to 20 mph
• 20th Street between Pico and Ocean Park boulevards — from 25 to 20 mph
• Appian Way between Pacific Coast Highway and Bay Street — from 25 to 20 mph
• Ashland Avenue between Neilson Way and Lincoln Boulevard — from 25 to 20 mph
• Barnard Way between Hollister Avenue and Neilson Way — from 25 to 20 mph
• California Avenue between Ocean Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard — from 25 to 20 mph
• Michigan Avenue between Lincoln Boulevard and 19th Street — from 25 to 20 mph
• Washington Avenue between Ocean Avenue and Stanford Street — from 25 to 20 mph

The speed limit on the California Incline at California Avenue between Pacific Coast Highway and Ocean Avenue increased from 25 to 30 mph.

The proposed speed limit changes support the city's Vision Zero goal of eliminating fatal and severe injury crashes in Santa Monica. Vision Zero was adopted in February 2016.

Unsafe speed is cited as the second most common factor in severe crashes in Santa Monica at 14 percent of the total. Crashes at lower speeds are less likely to result in fatalities, and the application of slower speed limits allows for effective enforcement of speed limits, the city said.