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REQUEST FOR <br />COUNCIL ACTION <br />CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: <br />OCTOBER 4, 2016 <br />TITLE: <br />PUBLIC HEARING - ORDINANCE <br />AMENDING CHAPTER 36 OF THE SANTA <br />ANA MUNICIPAL CODE ESTABLISHING <br />SPEED LIMITS FOR CITY STREETS <br />(STRATEGIC PLAN NO. 6, 1G) <br />CITY MANAGE <br />RECOMMENDED ACTION <br />CLERK OF COUNCIL USE ONLY: <br />:--:• 91 <br />❑ As Recommended <br />❑ As Amended <br />❑ Ordinance on 1s' Reading <br />❑ Ordinance on 2nd Reading <br />❑ Implementing Resolution <br />❑ Set Public Hearing For <br />CONTINUED TO <br />FILE NUMBER <br />Adopt an ordinance amending Chapter 36 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code establishing speed <br />limits on certain streets and portions of streets in the city. <br />DISCUSSION <br />To enforce speed limits on city streets using radar, the California Vehicle Code (CVC) requires <br />that the City conduct new speed surveys every five years as part of an Engineering and Traffic <br />Study (Speed Study). An updated study is necessary for speeding tickets issued by the Santa <br />Ana Police Department to be upheld in court. <br />The prior study was approved in 2011. Last year, the City hired a consultant, Albert Grover and <br />Associates, who has completed the 2016 study in accordance with State regulations. The <br />Speed Study recommends speed limits based upon four major factors: (1) the geometric <br />characteristics of the roadways (including pedestrian and bicycle activity), (2) speed surveys <br />using radar, (3) accident rate comparisons of actual versus the average accident rates that <br />typically occur for each type of roadway in the city, and (4) any roadway characteristics not <br />readily apparent to motorists. <br />The CVC requires speed limits be set near the 85 percent speed for arterials and collector (or <br />commuter) streets. The Speed Study evaluated 177 segments in the City's arterial and <br />collector street network as designated by the Department of Transportation in its California <br />Roads System Maps. Since the CVC already sets residential streets speed limits at 25 mph, <br />one residential street segment was recommended to be removed from the study to eliminate <br />redundancy, leaving a total of 176 segments in the final evaluation. <br />Based upon the results of the Engineering and Traffic Study, decreased speed limits are <br />recommended at 32 locations. For the remaining 144 locations, no changes were <br />recommended in the posted speed limits. Additionally, the study and recommendations have <br />75A -1 <br />