COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Department of Public Works

 

DATE:

February 13, 2006

BOARD MEETING DATE:

February 28, 2006

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

Second Reading of Ordinance Required

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Neil R. Cullen, Director of Public Works

SUBJECT:

Revisions to Chapter 7.04 (Prima Facie Speed Limits) of Title 7, Vehicles and Traffic, of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code

 

Recommendation

Adopt an ordinance:

 

a)

amending Section 7.04.010 of the Ordinance Code to define Prima Facie Speed Limits; and

 

b)

amending Sections 7.04.020 through 7.04.055 designating prima facie speed limits from 25 miles per hour to 60 miles per hour in 5 mile per hour increments along specified lengths of County highways; and

 

c)

repealing Sections 7.04.060 through 7.04.670 inclusive of the Ordinance Code.

 

Vision Alignment

Commitment: Responsive, effective and collaborative government.

Goal 20: Government decisions are based on careful consideration of future impact, rather than temporary relief or gain.

 

Your Board’s adoption of the proposed ordinance will allow us to:

 

a.

streamline Ordinance Code Section 7.04, et. seq.; and

 

b.

maintain alphabetic listings of approved speed limits that can be easily updated.

 

Background

 

Previous Board Action

Adopted similar ordinances which streamlined the Time Limited Parking; No Parking and No Parking During Specified Hours; and Disabled Parking Zones in the Ordinance Code.

 

History

Sections 22357 and 22358 of the California Vehicle Code (CVC) provides that local authorities may establish speed limits other than the prima facie speed limits as listed in the CVC, if said speed limits are based on an engineering and traffic survey, will facilitate the orderly movement of vehicular traffic, and would be reasonable and safe upon said street.

 

Speed limits have been established by your Board and are currently codified in Section 7.04 of the County Ordinance Code. Existing speed limit ordinances date back to 1949.

 

Discussion

We are recommending that prima facie speed limits for specific streets or portions thereof be approved by your Board by ordinance as provided in the CVC for reducing speed limits from 65 miles per hour. The street locations with speed limits that are different than the prima facie speed limit, as provided by the CVC, are currently documented on GIS maps in the Department of Public Works, and will be made available in list form on the Department’s web site.

 

Representatives of the Highlands Community Association, the Highlands Recreation District and the Highlands Elementary School contacted us and requested that the current speed limit - 30 miles per hour - on portions of Bunker Hill Drive, Lexington Avenue and Ticonderoga Drive in the San Mateo Highlands area be reduced. We agree with the representatives of the community and have therefore not listed the subject portions of these streets in the ordinance specifying 30 miles per hour speed limits. No other action is necessary by your Board if you concur, as the prima facie speed limit for these streets will return to 25 miles per hour, since they are within a residential area and the maximum speed limit on a residential street is 25 miles per hour as defined by the CVC, if not changed by the local authority.

 

The California Highway Patrol has reviewed and concurs with our recommendation.

 

The ordinances have been approved as to form by County Counsel. We will maintain the list of approved speed limits on the Department of Public Works web site.

 

Fiscal Impact

The cost of the staff time involved in evaluating and processing requests for prima facie speed limits is part of the administrative costs associated with evaluating traffic-related requests involving the County maintained road system, and is financed with Road Funds. The cost of signing speed limits varies, but averages out to approximately $400 per sign. This cost is also financed with Road Funds.

 

Ordinance Code revisions are compiled and published by County Counsel and the cost of this work is financed with General Funds. This revision will eliminate approximately six (6) pages from the Ordinance Code. Therefore, we believe that there will be some savings per year to the General Fund as fewer pages of Ordinance Code supplements will need to be published and distributed each time a new speed limit is approved or eliminated.