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Commission recommends council adopt 2025 speed-limit survey findings; two segments lowered
Summary
The commission voted to recommend that city council receive the 2025 engineering and traffic surveys and adopt speed-limit changes recommended in the technical report. Staff proposed two reductions and 17 segments to remain unchanged; AB 43's new allowance for an extra 5-mph reduction was applied on at least one segment.
At the July 10 Salinas Traffic and Transportation Commission meeting Jonathan Hernandez, engineer with the traffic division, presented the 2025 engineering and traffic surveys for speed limits and asked the commission to recommend that City Council adopt the report's recommendations.
Staff identified 19 roadway segments with expiring engineering surveys. After field counts and analysis staff proposed lowering speed limits on two segments: Airport Boulevard (existing 45 mph proposed to 40 mph) and Casantini Street (existing 35 mph proposed to 30 mph). Seventeen additional segments were recommended to remain unchanged. Staff explained the standard methodology: collect an indiscriminate sample (about 100 vehicles, split directions), measure the 85th-percentile speed and round to the nearest 5 mph for a baseline, then allow a 5-mph reduction where warranted. Under California Assembly Bill 43 (effective July 2024), local agencies may apply an additional 5-mph reduction on roadways designated as safety corridors or adjacent to land/facilities with a high concentration of pedestrians or bicyclists; staff said Linwood Drive received that extra AB 43 reduction in this round.
Commissioners questioned outreach to affected residents and whether the city posts expiring surveys and their status online; staff acknowledged outreach needed improvement and said results are not currently posted but staff contacts petition leads and can provide survey results on request. Commissioners also raised concerns about the quality of crash-reporting in Salinas' police data and the limits that imposes on relying on crash history.
After discussion Commissioner Greg Hammer moved to recommend City Council receive the 2025 engineering and traffic surveys and approve a resolution adopting the establishment of speed limits as recommended by the technical report. The motion was seconded and passed on a roll call vote.
Action: The commission voted to recommend that City Council receive the 2025 engineering and traffic surveys for speed limits and adopt the report's recommended speed limits; the commission recorded the motion as approved.
