HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-05-13 - AGENDA REPORTS - SB 872 STRICKLAND SPEED LIMITS (2)CONSENT CALENDAR
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
City Manager Approval:
Agenda Item:
.-..r.,".
Item to be presented by:Michael P. Murphy V
DATE: May 13, 2003
SUBJECT: STATE LEGISLATION: ASSEMBLY BILL 872 (STRICKLAND)
DEPARTMENT: City Manager
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Support Assembly Bill 872, in concept, and transmit statements of support to Assembly Member
Strickland, members of Santa Clarita's state legislative delegation, members of appropriate legislative
committees, Governor Davis, the City of Thousand Oaks and the League of California Cities.
BACKGROUND
Assembly Bill 872, authored by Assembly Member Tony Strickland (R -37 -Thousand Oaks), would
provide flexibility to local agencies in setting speed limits on roads within their jurisdictions. The bill
specifies criteria which may be considered by local agencies in setting speed limits on certain local
roadways, as defined in the bill. At the regular meeting of April 15, 2003, the City Council directed
that AB 872 be brought back to the Council for consideration of a position on the measure.
AB 872, as amended in the Assembly Transportation Committee on April 22, 2003, seeks to clarify
existing law to allow local jurisdictions, when conducting engineering and traffic surveys, to consider
residential density and pedestrian and bicycle safety. Under existing California law, local agencies
must use a standardized process in setting speed limits within their jurisdictions to enable enforcement
to occur through the use of radar. The law essentially requires that speeds must be set at the 85th
percentile, meaning the speed which is exceeded by 15% of motorists, as identified by local traffic and
engineering surveys.
This bill, sponsored by the City of Thousand Oaks, seeks to address a situation which recently occurred
in that city. As the result of engineering and traffic surveys, the City of Thousand Oaks was required to
raise the speed limits on 81 segments of city streets to enable continued radar enforcement on those
segments. In four instances, speed limits were raised to 50 miles per hour in areas which are generally
considered to be residential and are heavily utilized by pedestrians and bicyclists. AB 872, as currently
written, will enable local jurisdictions to consider residential density and pedestrian and bicyclist safety
in establishing speed limits using local traffic and engineering surveys.
The provisions of this bill, as amended on April 22, 2003, would only apply to setting speed limits on
urban, divided and restricted access arterial highways within a city. The definition of an urban, divided
and restricted access arterial highway is defined in the bill as "a highway that is located within the
incorporated boundary of a city, is designed as part of an arterial highway system, is used by through
traffic on a continuous route, has separate roadbeds for traffic in opposing directions, has spaced
intersections at grade, and has no direct vehicle access to abutting property. "
The City of Thousand Oaks believes the bill is still too restrictive and will be proposing amendments to
the bill after its anticipated approval by the full Assembly, but before the bill is heard by the Senate
Committee on Transportation. The amendments will remove all bill language referencing specific
types of roads. This will enable the measure's provisions to apply to all public roadways within a local
jurisdiction. The amendments will also include language allowing local jurisdictions to consider
residential density, pedestrian safety, bicyclist safety, and the safety of persons at work in the highway
in setting speed limits. The City of Thousand Oaks has pledged to work with the City of Santa Clarita
in developing bill language which meets their objectives and is favorable to both cities.
The bill has been approved by both the Assembly Transportation Committee and the Assembly
Appropriations Committee. The bill is slated to go to the full Assembly for consideration in early May.
ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS
1. Not take a position on AB 872 and direct staff to monitor bill.
2. Oppose Assembly Bill 872.
3. Other action as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
Adoption of the recommended action will not result in any additional fiscal impact to the City of Santa
Clarita. Staff time associated with preparation of materials and conduct of communications with the
City of Thousand Oaks, Members of the California Legislature and other parties is included within the
adopted 2002/03 City budget.
ATTACHMENTS
Assembly Bill 872 (as amended April 22, 2003)
- AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 22, 2003
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE -2003-04 REGULAR SESSION
ASSEMBLY BILL No. 872
Introduced by Assembly Member Strickland
February 20, 2003
An act to afnend Seetieft 223 add Section 22358.2 to the VehicW
Code, relating to vehicles.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSELS DIGEST
AB 872, as amended, Strickland. Vehicles: speed limits: divided
urban highways.
Existing law authorizes a local authority to decrease the speed limit
of 65 miles per hour on any street other than a state highway where that
speed limit is applicable, if the local authority determines upon the
basis of an engineering and traffic survey that the 65 mile -per -hour
speed limit is not reasonable or safe.
Existing law requires an engineering and traffic survey to include,
among other requirements deemed necessary by the Department of
Transportation, consideration of prevailing speeds, as determined by
traffic engineering measurements, accident records, and highway,
traffic, and roadside conditions not readily apparent to the driver.
Existing law authorizes a local authority, when conducting an
engineering and traffic survey, to consider residential density, under
certain conditions, and pedestrian and bicyclist safety, in addition to the
factors specified above.
This bill would authorize a local authority, when conducting an
engineering and traffic survey for the purpose of establishing a speed
limit on an urban, divided, and restricted access arterial highway, as
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AB 872 —2—
defined,
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defined, to consider residential density, under certain conditions, and
pedestrian and bicyclist safety, in addition to the factors in existing law
specified above.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes no.
State -mandated local program: yes no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
1 SEGTION 1. o ., ;__ 223
en of the Vehi l n a is ameftde a
2 SECTION 1. Section 22358.2 is added to the Vehicle Code, to
3 read:
4 22358.2. (a) When conducting an engineering and traffic
5 survey for the purpose of establishing a speed limit on an urban,
6 divided, and restricted access arterial highway, a local authority
7 may consider all of the following, in addition to the factors set forth
8 in subdivision (b) of Section 627:
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-3— AB 872
(1) Residential density, if any of the following conditions exist
on the particular portion of highway and the property contiguous
thereto, other than a business district:
(A) Upon one side of the highway, within a distance of a quarter
of a mile, the contiguous property fronting thereon is occupied by
13 or more separate dwelling houses or business structures.
(B) Upon both sides of the highway, collectively, within a
distance of a quarter of a mile, the contiguous property fronting
thereon is occupied by 16 or more separate dwelling houses or
'business structures.
(C) The portion of highway is longer than one-quarter of a mile
but has the ratio of separate dwelling houses or business structures
to the length of the highway described in either subparagraph (A)
or (B).
(2) Pedestrian and bicyclist safety.
(b) For purposes of this section, an "urban, divided, and
restricted access arterial highway" is a highway that is located
within the incorporated boundary of an city, is designed as part of
an arterial highway system, is used by through tragic on a
continuous route, has separate roadbeds for traffic in opposing
directions, has spaced intersections at grade, and has no direct
vehicle access to abutting property.
to reams
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