Presentation-Setting Speed Limits-10.11.2023 Setting Speed Limits
Impacts of AB 43 / AB 1938
Transportation Division
COPE RTINO
California Manual for Setting Speed Limits
• Speed limits establish a reasonable and safe operating
speed for a specific section of roadway
2020
• Established by an Engineering and Traffic Survey (E&TS),
California Manual for Setting by considering the following:
Speed Limits
• Prevailing speeds (85th percentile speed)
SPEED
LIMIT • Collision History
55 • Highway, traffic, and roadside conditions not
- ,, �ENF•- f readily apparent to the driver.
85th percentile Speed -the speed at or below which 85%
of the traffic is moving
Engineering and Traffic Surveys (E&TS)
"In order for the court systems and the public to accept and respect the responsible
public agencies' posting and enforcement of posted speed limits, an E&TS must
incorporate sound, repeatable methods conforming to the CVC and engineering
principles."
• An E&TS is valid for 5 years - CVC Section 40802
• Under special conditions, an E&TS may be valid for seven or ten years.
• Existing E&TS may need to be reassessed before the renewal period is expired
• Physical changes to the roadway, such as increasing or decreasing the
number of travel lanes, may impact the 85th percentile speed
• Law enforcement agencies and courts are accustomed to seeing surveys and it may
be difficult to defend a speed violation citation without one
AB43 & AB 1938
"The purpose of AB 43 and AB 1938 is to provide greater flexibility in setting and reducing
speed limits in California"
• Assembly Bill 43 - Traffic Safety
• Includes 16 specific provisions that revised the CVC to grant agencies
greater flexibility in setting speed limits, with additional flexibility for local
agencies
• 14 of 16 provisions applies to local authorities
• Assembly Bill 1938 - Traffic Safety - Speed Limit
• Additional clarifications to AB43 Provisions and its intentions
Provisions in AB 43 and AB 1938
# Section# 5ubsectio Description
1 627 c2 Extend the considerations for ped and bike safety to increase consideration for children,seniors,persons with
* Does not apply 2 22352 b1 Extend prima-facie speed limitto be applicable tostate highwaysalso
to local agencies 3 22354 a Allow the lower limit of prima facie speed limit on the state highway to 20 or 15(25wasthe prior lower limit).
4 22358 a Allow the lower limit of prima-facie speed limit on the non-state highway to 25,20 or 15(30 was the prior
lower limit)
5 40802 a2 Add the new senior zone and business activity districts to the list of prima fade listing within the citation
6 40802 b3 Add definition of senior zone as explicitly defined in the citation
7 40802 b4 Add definition of business activity district as explicitly defined in the citation
8 40802 c2Bi(II) Extends the maximum length of time an engineering and traffic survey may be used from 10 to 14years
.m64O9417 r7Rii Add%point 7nne and hi icinecc activity dictrirt to the lict of nrima farie Iictinv within the ritatinn
30 22358.6 NA Rounding and ETS reductions from the 85th percentile for any speed survey
12 2235&7 NA Reduction provisions for Safety Corridor&High Concentrations of Ped/Bikes
13 22358.8 NA Reduction provisions for retaining current/prior speed limits
14 22358,9 NA Reduction provisions for Business Activity Districts
ID ILL37L as rermmuiugycnangerrum nagman cu rragpersun
16 40802 b1 Deletion of"Califomia Road System Maps"reference
Summary of Provisions: AB 43 and AB 1938
• CVC 22358.6(a)- Required to round speed limits to
the nearest five miles per hour of the 85th % speed Table 2B-104(CA).Examples showing applicability of rounding and additional speed reduction on Local
• 47.4 mph becomes 45 mph Agency's Roadways&Private Property Subjected to CVC
If safety corridor or
Rounding to If rounding to If rounding to adjacent to high
85th-Percentile nearest 5 mph nearest is up, nearest if down, concentration of
• CVC 22358.6(b)- In cases in which speed limit Speed(mph) increment(CVC may round down may additionally bicyclists&
needs to be rounded down to the nearest ,5mph, 22358.6(a)) lower by 5 mph pedestrians,may
p (CVC 22358.6(c)) (CVC 22358.6(b)) additionally lower by
the local authority may lower the speed limit an 5mph(CVC22358.7)*
additional 5mph, if engineers determine the 47.5-50.0 50 45 No 40
roadway contains traffic conditions not readily 45.1-47.4 45 No 40 35
apparent to the driver 42.5-45.0 45 40 No 35
40.1-42.4 40 No 35 30
• CVC 22358.6(c)- In cases in which the speed limit `Note—CVC Sections 22358.7,22358.8&22358.9 are applicable to local agency roadways and private properties subjected to
CVC,they are not applicable to the State Highway System.Refer to Section 2B.13 for more details.
needs to be rounded up to the nearest 5mph of the
85th-percentile speed, the local authority may
decide to instead round down the speed limit to the
lower 5mph increment. If the speed limit is rounded
down pursuant to this subdivision, the speed limit
shall not be reduced any further pursuant to
subdivision (b).
Summary of Provisions: AB 43 and AB 1938
Table 2B•105(CA).Safety Corridor Definition Requirements
Category Factors CVC Section 22358.7(a)(1) - "Safety Corridor" Definition
Crash weighting can be developed using fatal and serious injury crash data
and other factors to prioritize safety corridors.Suggested weighting factors are
as follows: • Shall be defined as A roadway segment within an
• Crash severity:Fatal Crashes,Serious Injury Crashes overall roadway network where the highest number of
Crash Weighting Factors to • Mode:Pedestrian-bicycle related crashes,vehlclefother
Develop One Serious/FatalgFactorst • Disadvantaged Community Status:MPOIRTPA or locally defined serious injury or fatality crashes occur.
Injury Safety Corridor disadvantaged community status based on most current version of
CalEnviroScreen
• Vulnerable Populations:Seniors(age 65 and older)and Youth(under • One or more of the required crash weighting factors
age 15)based on the American Community Survey
• School proximity(within 0.25 miles)based on the California School listed shall be used to prioritize the locations of fatal and
Campus Database serious injury crashes in developing the "Safety Corridor"
Each roadway segment block can be converted into—0.25 mile overlapping
"corridor"segments to create a consistent unit of measurement and asses the
Crash Density concentration of linear patterns of injuries within a define distance.The highest • Shall represent a prioritized subset of the overall
scoring(i.e.most fatal and serious injury crashes per mile)"corridor"segments roadway network within an authority's responsibilities
within a street needs to be identified and an appropriate threshold set to
determine safety corridor eligibility. and shall not exceed one-fifth of the overall roadway
• network
Maintenance The jurisdiction can establish a review and re-evaluation frequency for safety
corridors.However,such frequency need not exceed seven years.
Summary of Provisions: AB 43 and AB 1938
Table 2B•106(CA).Requirements to determine Land or Facility that Generates High Concentrations of
Bicyclists or Pedestrians
Category Generator CVC Section 22358.7(a)(2) - "Land or facility that
generates high concentrations of bicyclists or pedestrians"
Employment centers
Presence of retail
Parks,multi use trails,and recreational destnations • Shall be defined as The portion of the highway where
Land Use Schools/universities
Senior Centers one or more of any generators listed are present within
Cultural areas,entertainment space areas,or areas of community significance 1320 feet
Religious facilities
Health/medical facilities
Transit stops The top20% ofpedestrian / bicycle fatalities or serious
Transit Factors Y
Transit Oriented Developments/Transit Priority Areas injuries within a 3 to 5 year period shall be based on the
Sidewalk presence
Presence of Crosswalk presence geographic area within the jurisdiction of the Engineer
Pedestrian/Bicyclist Bikeway presence performing the E&TS
Infrastructure Nearby signalized intersections on four-way intersections
Presence of micromobility devices such as bicycles or scooters
Presence of vulnerable groups including children,seniors,persons with
disabilities,users of personal assistive mobility devices,and the unhoused
Demographic Factors MPo/RTPA or locally defined disadvantaged community status
Presence of students(all levels)
Local Data Need identified in a safety analysis such as a road safety audit or formalized
planning document such as a local road safety plan
Examples of AB 43 and AB 1938
Table 2B-104(CA). Examples showing applicability of rounding and additional speed reduction on Local
Agency's Roadways & Private Property Subjected to CVC
If safety corridor or
Rounding to If rounding to If rounding to adjacent to high
85th-Percentile nearest 5 mph nearest is up, nearest if down, concentration of
Speed (mph) increment (CVC may round down may additionally bicyclists &
22358.6(a)) (CVC 22358.6(c)) lower by 5 mph pedestrians, may
(CVC 22358.6(b)) additionally lower by
5 mph (CVC 22358.7)*
47.5-50.0 50 45 No 40
45.1-47.4 45 No 40 35
42.5-45.0 45 40 No 35
40.1-42.4 40 No 35 30
* Note — CVC Sections 22358.7, 22358.8 & 22358.9 are applicable to local agency roadways and private properties subjected to
CVC, they are not applicable to the State Highway System. Refer to Section 2B.13 for more details.