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Regular-Community Services # 30.
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| Board of Supervisors |
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| Subject |
| Introduce by title only, waive first reading and receive public comment regarding a proposed ordinance amending portions of Title 4, Chapter 3 of the Yolo County Code, modifying a speed zone and lowering the speed limit on County Road 97 between State Highway 16 and County Road 20 west of Woodland to 45 mph. (No general fund impact) (Echiburu) |
| Recommended Action |
- Introduce by title only, waive first reading, and receive public comment regarding a proposed ordinance amending portions of Title 4, Chapter 3 of the Yolo County Code, modifying a speed zone and lowering the speed limit on County Road 97 between State Highway 16 and County Road 20 west of Woodland to 45 mph; and
- Continue the ordinance to the next regularly scheduled Board of Supervisors’ meeting to be considered for adoption.
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| Strategic Plan Goal(s) |
Operational Excellence
Thriving Residents
Safe Communities
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| Reason for Recommended Action/Background |
These actions will lower the speed limit on County Road (CR) 97 between State Highway 16 and CR 20 from 50 mph to 45 mph west of Woodland, in conformance with the California Vehicle Code and the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, and ensure that the posted speed limits are enforceable under state law.
BACKGROUND
The speed limit on CR 97 between CR 20 and State Highway 16 is currently 50 mph. This speed limit was set based on Engineering and Traffic Survey (E&TS) conducted by Public Works Division staff in October 2011 and approved by ordinance by the Board of Supervisors on November 8, 2011.
The California Vehicle Code (CVC) and the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA-MUTCD) govern the criteria for establishment of speed limits. The CVC sets the basic speed limit for two-lane, undivided highways at 55 mph. The CVC further provides the ability for local governments to set zones with lower speed limits based on an Engineering and Traffic Survey (E&TS). Guidelines for an E&TS are set in CA-MUTCD. Setting speed limits outside the guidelines constitute a speed trap under the CVC, and those speed limits are not enforceable using radar.
In short, the overriding premise of the laws related to setting of speed limits is that 85% of the drivers will drive at a reasonable speed for the road and conditions. To establish a speed zone less than 55 mph the agency must conduct an E&TS, including a speed zone survey to measure the actual 85th percentile speed.
Effective July 1, 2009, CA-MUTCD policies and procedures for setting speed limits in California require that the speed limit be rounded to the nearest 5 mph increment of the measured 85th percentile speed of the free flowing traffic.
AB 529, effective January 1, 2012, provides minimal local discretion for cases in which the nearest 5 mph increment of the 85th percentile speed would require a rounding up. In these specific cases, the speed limit may be rounded down to the nearest 5 mph increment below the 85th percentile speed, but no further reduction is allowed.
At the request of a resident of this stretch of road, and as allowed by the California CA-MUTCD, a five-year review was conducted of the speed zone. The results of the review are that the 85th percentile speed is 48 mph, which would be rounded to the current speed limit of 50 mph. Using the discretion provided by AB 529, staff recommends reducing the speed limit to 45 mph as summarized in the attached ordinance.
| Road |
Current Speed |
County Code
Title 4 Chapter 3 Article 2 |
85th percentile speed (mph) |
Proposed Posted Speed |
| County Road 97 between County Road 20 and State Highway 16 |
50 |
Sec. 4-3.204 Forty-five miles per hour |
48 |
45 |
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| Collaborations (including Board advisory groups and external partner agencies) |
| County Counsel prepared the ordinance |
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| Fiscal Impact |
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| Source of Funds for this Expenditure |
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