To:   HONORABLE MAYOR AND                   From:   James R. Helmer

                        CITY COUNCIL

                     

 Subject:    RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING             Date:   05-27-03

                        SPEED LIMIT

 

Council District:  4

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

Rescind Resolution 71447 related to the establishment of speed limits in the City of San José, and adopt a resolution re-establishing the speed limit on Grand Boulevard, between First Street and Los Esteros Road, within the City of San José, from 35 MPH to 30 MPH.

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

There are approximately 500 roadway segments in the City that require engineering and traffic surveys.  These surveys need to be performed for the following reasons:

 

·        Engineering and traffic surveys must be conducted in order to adjust or establish speed limits as set forth in the California Vehicle Code (CVC).  Generally, the CVC sets a maximum speed limit of 65 mph.  The CVC authorizes the City to lower the 65 mph maximum speed limit or raise the prima facie 25 mph residential speed limit to one that is justified by an engineering and traffic survey.

 

·        Engineering and traffic surveys must be conducted in order to use radar to enforce speed limits.  The CVC requires the posted speed limits on streets that are subject to radar enforcement to be justified by surveys conducted every five (5), seven (7) or ten (10) years depending upon changes in traffic characteristics, land use or density of development.  Surveys can be conducted more frequently if justified due to changes in land use or traffic conditions.

 

On March 18, 2003 the City Council adopted Resolution 71447 that updated speed limits on all surveyed streets in the City.  The proposed resolution includes the re-establishment of the speed limit for Grand Boulevard, between First Street and Los Esteros Road.

 

 

ANALYSIS

 

The CVC states that no person shall drive at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent.  The City follows California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) guidelines for setting speed limits, which presumes that the majority of drivers comply with this law.  Caltrans guidelines require speed limits to be set at or slightly below the 85th percentile speed, which is defined as that speed at or below which 85 percent of the traffic is moving.  In California, the speed limit is generally set at the closest 5 mph increment below the 85th percentile.

 

Setting speed limits in such a manner provides law enforcement officers with a means of controlling those few drivers who will not conform to what the majority of drivers consider reasonable and prudent.  Further studies have shown that establishing a speed limit significantly less than the 85th percentile speed generally has very little effect on reducing the speed of motorists and results in high percentages of drivers driving at speeds well beyond the posted speed limit.

 

The proposed speed limit for Grand Boulevard between First Street and Los Esteros Road, as shown on Attachment A, is based upon an evaluation of the number and speed of vehicles, adjacent land uses, crash rates, roadway configuration, horizontal and vertical roadway alignment, and continuity with the existing roadway network.

 

 

PUBLIC OUTREACH

 

The reduction of the speed limit was one of the measures recommended in a traffic study for the Alviso Area to improve traffic conditions in the neighborhood.  The traffic study has been shared with the Alviso community.

 

 

COORDINATION

 

The above items have been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office, the Police Department, Planning, Building and Code Enforcement, and the Office of Councilmember Reed.

 

 

COST IMPLICATIONS

 

Installation of new speed limit signs will incur a one-time cost of approximately $500 and will be absorbed within the Department's existing budget.  Other associated costs will be on-going minor maintenance.

 

 

BUDGET REFERENCE

 

Fund:                         001 – General Fund

Amount:                    $35,041,153

Budget Document:     2002-03 Adopted Operating Budget, Vol. Two, page 598

 

 

CEQA:

 

Exempt, PP03-05-185

 

 

 

 

JAMES R. HELMER

Director of Transportation

 

Attachment

 

 

Attachment A

 

Grand Boulevard Between First Street and Los Esteros Road

 

Grand Boulevard runs in an east-west direction and provides access to residents and businesses in and around the area.  The street is classified as a collector in the City’s General Plan.  The surveyed portion of Grand Boulevard is approximately 0.64 miles long and has two lanes consisting of one lane in each direction with a double yellow centerline. Grand Boulevard carries an average of 1,770 vehicles per day.

 

The roadway runs through a residential and commercial area.  There are front-on homes only on the north side of Grand Boulevard between First Street and Los Esteros Road.  There are commercial businesses at the southeast corner of First Street and Grand Boulevard.  The south side of Grand Boulevard between Wilson Way and Los Esteros Road is undeveloped land.

 

Alviso Park and George Mayne Elementary School are situated approximately a block or two southwest of Grand Boulevard and Wilson Way.  The intersection of Grand Boulevard and Wilson Way is controlled by a traffic signal.  Traffic on Grand Boulevard intersecting with First Street is controlled by a one-way stop sign.

 

In May of 2003, Grand Boulevard, between First Street and Los Esteros Road, was surveyed to establish a radar enforceable speed limit. Following are the Engineering and Traffic Survey data and a map of the area.

 

Mean Speed (MPH)

85th Percentile (MPH)

10 MPH Pace (MPH)

% in Pace

Crash Rate (per MVM)

Established Speed Limit (MPH)

Recommended Speed Limit (MPH)

 

31.1

 

35.5

 

26 - 35

 

77

 

6.3

 

35

 

30

MVM: million vehicle mile

 

Grand Boulevard

 

Based on the above information, the proposed speed limit of 30 MPH is an appropriate, reasonable and safe speed limit to facilitate the orderly movement of traffic and to allow for radar enforcement on Grand Boulevard.