HomeMy WebLinkAbout08. Ordinance Amending Speed Limit on Gallatin Rd.
AGENDA MEMO
DATE:
September 13, 2011
TO:
Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Office of the City Manager
By: John Oskoui, P.E., Director of Public Works
SUBJECTORDINANCE AMENDINGSPEED LIMITS ON GALLATIN ROAD
:
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council introduce:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DOWNEY
AMENDING SECTION 3186 OF THE DOWNEY MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING
TO SPEED LIMITS ON GALLATIN ROAD
.
BACKGROUND
The California Vehicle Code (CVC) requires Engineering and Traffic surveys be
conducted periodically for roadway segments in order to post speed limits and allow
enforcement by RADAR. Roadway segments that require surveys are non-local streets
as defined in the federal-aid system maps administered by the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA).
There are three basic means by which speed limits are established. First, the CVC
identifies speed limits which apply as a maximum, in the event that no other condition is
met to establish the speed limit as less than the maximum. The current maximum limits
in California are 65 miles per hour (mph) on local routes and 70 mph on State highways.
Second, the CVC establishes specific prima facie speed limits for streets when certain
conditions are met (such as residential streets set at 25 mph). The prima facie speed
limits do not need speed studies or speed limit signs to be posted in order to be
enforced. For the purposes of setting prima facie speed limits, all streets must be
“local” streets based on functional usage as defined by the FHWA and meet the CVC
criterion for the minimum number of residential dwellings per quarter of a mile.
Third, in order to post a speed limit which varies from the maximum speed limit or a
prima facie speed limit and allow enforcement by RADAR, the speed must be
established based on an Engineering and Traffic survey. The purpose of the
Engineering and Traffic survey is to determine a speed limit which is both reasonable
and safe.
CITY OF DOWNEY, CALIFORNIA
Mayor and Members of the City Council
Ordinance Amending Speed Limits On Gallatin Road
September 13, 2011
Page 2
Gallatin Road is designated as a minor arterial for the portion with four lanes between
Paramount Boulevard and Lakewood Boulevard and is designated as a collector for the
two-lane section from Tweedy Lane to Paramount Boulevard, as well as the segments
between Lakewood Boulevard and Downey & Sanford Bridge Road. The most easterly
portion beyond to where Gallatin Road ends is deemed to be a local street, however,
and thus is not included in the survey (see attached location map). Both arterials and
collector streets require the preparation of an Engineering and Traffic survey in order to
establish RADAR-enforceable speed limits.
DISCUSSION
The Engineering and Traffic surveys have been completed, and the results were
presented to the Public Works Committee on August 18, 2011. Following a discussion
about the segment of Gallatin Road between Tweedy Lane and Paramount Boulevard,
it was decided to direct staff to repeat said survey during the third week of September in
order to take school-related traffic into consideration. The Engineering and Traffic
surveys of the remaining segments, as listed below, were approved by the Public Works
Committee.
Gallatin Road Proposed Speed Limits
Speed (mph)
Limits
StreetCurrentProposeRemarks
3535
Gallatin Rd.Paramount Blvd.Downey AvenueNo Change
35*35*
Gallatin Rd.Downey AvenueBrookshire AvenueNo Change
3535
Gallatin Rd.Brookshire AvenueLakewood Blvd.No Change
2525
Gallatin Rd.Lakewood Blvd.Lemoran Ave.No Change
2525
Gallatin Rd.Lemoran Ave.No Change
Downey & Sanford Bridge Rd.
* The speed limit is 25 mph adjacent to school when children are present.
It is proposed that the existing 35 mph speed limit continue for the portion of Gallatin
Road between Paramount Boulevard and Lakewood Boulevard, whereas the remaining
segments under consideration east of Lakewood Boulevard shall remain at 25 mph. The
most westerly segment between Tweedy Lane and Paramount Boulevard will be
surveyed again and presented at a future date.
Mayor and Members of the City Council
Ordinance Amending Speed Limits On Gallatin Road
September 13, 2011
Page 3
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed ordinance will not require any new sign installations, and thus will not
produce any cost to implement.
Attachments:
Ordinance
Gallatin Road Location Map
S:\AgendaMemosCC2011\09-13-11\Gallatin Rd Speed Limits - Introduce Ordinance
ORDINANCE NO. 11-
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DOWNEY AMENDING
SECTION 3186 OF THE DOWNEY MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO THE SPEED
LIMITS ON GALLATIN ROAD.
WHEREAS
, the California Vehicle Code (CVC) requires Engineering and Traffic surveys
to be conducted periodically for streets such as Gallatin Road in order to post speed limits and
allow enforcement by RADAR; and
WHEREAS
, the City of Downey has recently completed Engineering and Traffic surveys
for the entire length of Gallatin Road, respectively; and
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DOWNEY DOES
ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS
:
SECTION 1.
The City Council does hereby approve the Engineering and Traffic
surveys for Gallatin Road, which were completed on July20, 2011, and are incorporated herein
by this reference.
SECTION 2.
Subsection i) of Section 3186 of the Downey Municipal Code is hereby
amended to read as follows:
i)“Gallatin Road. The prima facie speed limit shall be thirty-five(35) miles per hour
between Paramount Boulevard and Lakewood Boulevard, and twenty-five (25) miles per
hour between Lakewood Boulevard and Downey-Sanford Bridge Road.”
SECTION 3.
The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Ordinance and shall
cause the same to be published or posted as required by law. A certified original of same shall
also be forwarded to the City Traffic Engineer.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED
thisday of , 2011.
___________________________________
LUIS H. MARQUEZ, Mayor
ATTEST:
JOYCE E. DOYLE, INTERIM City Clerk
ORDINANCE NO. 11-
PAGE TWO
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss:
CITY OF DOWNEY )
I HEREBY CERTIFY
that the foregoing Ordinance No. 11- was introduced at
th
a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Downey held on the 13 day of September,
2011, and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Downey held on the
___ day of __ , 2011, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: Council Members:
NOES: Council Member:
ABSENT: Council Member:
ABSTAIN: Council Member:
I FURTHER CERTIFY
that a Summary of the foregoing Ordinance No. , was
published in the Downey Patriot, a newspaper of general circulation in the City of Downey, on
________________, 2011 (after introduction), and on ______________, 2011 (after adoption,
including the vote thereon). It was also posted in the regular posting places in the City of
Downey on the same dates.
__________________________________
JOYCE E. DOYLE, INTERIM City Clerk