In a strange confluence of factors, expired speed limits and a state statute have hampered speed enforcement. Unfortunately, the proposed solution also looks a like a problem.
Laura J. Nelson reports that an increase in speed limits on more than 100 miles of city streets might be coming to Los Angeles. The city is lagging in reaching its Vision Zero goals to eliminate traffic deaths in the city by 2025, and vehicle speed is a factor that can drastically affect a pedestrian’s chance of survival after a collision. But city officials say higher speed limits will ease existing enforcement restrictions, reports Nelson:
The dilemma stems from a decades-old California law designed to protect drivers from speed traps, which requires cities to post speed limits that reflect the natural speed of traffic. If a speed limit is too low, or if it is more than 7 years old, the police can’t use radar guns or other electronic devices to write speeding tickets there.
Speed limits had expired on over 200 miles of Los Angeles streets, as of this past summer, with minimal enforcement in these areas. Two-thirds of the street miles currently up for consideration are in the San Fernando Valley, where the speed limit has crept upward on many streets in the last decade, says Nelson. "Residents have approached the speed limit increases with trepidation, saying they are reluctant to see higher speed limits, but support more speed enforcement that targets the most dangerous drivers."
As for how Los Angeles found itself in this situation, Nelson notes that the Department of Transportation team conducting speed studies lost staff during the Great Recession and needed updates were not conducted. As a result, the number of speeding tickets issued by police plunged 77 percent from 2010 to 2017.
FULL STORY: L.A. considers raising speed limits on more than 100 miles of streets
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
Fair Housing Cannot Take a Back Seat to ‘Build, Baby, Build’
If we overlook fair housing principles in the plan to build US housing back better, we risk ending up right back where we started.
LA Metro Board Approves New 710 Freeway Plan
The newest plan for the 710 corridor claims it will not displace any residents.
Austin’s Proposed EV Charging Rules Regulate Station Locations, Size
City planners say the new rules would ensure an efficient distribution of charging infrastructure across the city and prevent an overconcentration in residential areas.
Making California State Parks More Climate-Resilient
A recently released report offers recommendations for keeping state parks healthy and robust, including acquiring additional land for conservation and recreation.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.