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Claremont commission recommends City Council adopt revised 2026 speed survey to lower limits across city
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Summary
The Traffic and Transportation Commission voted unanimously to recommend the City Council adopt the revised 2026 radar speed survey under AB 43, which would change posted speeds on 93 evaluated segments (an estimated 62 segments see larger reductions); staff estimated about $175,000 to replace signs and stencils and will bring an implementation schedule to council.
The Claremont Traffic and Transportation Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council adopt the revised 2026 radar speed survey, authorizing new posted speed limits across 93 evaluated roadway segments and directing staff to bring an implementation plan and budget to the council.
The recommendation follows a presentation by staff and consultants explaining that the study applied California Vehicle Code guidance and AB 43 provisions to the 80th-percentile speed data and engineering judgment to set posted limits. Staff said 48 segments would see no change, 44 would be reduced by 5 miles per hour, and one segment would be reduced by 10 miles per hour; staff described an estimated implementation cost of about $175,000 to replace signs, posts and pavement stencils.
Why it matters: proponents said modest reductions and clearer signage will improve safety for pedestrians, students and bicyclists, while staff said the survey and accompanying data sheets provide the legal and technical justification needed to survive scrutiny. The commission heard substantial public support from parents, bicycling advocates and local academics and voted to forward the proposal to the City Council for adoption by local ordinance.
Staff presentation and technical basis The consultant and engineering staff told the commission the baseline for recommended posted speeds is the 80th-percentile measured speed, rounded to the nearest 5-mph increment, with AB 43 and the California MUTCD allowing additional downward rounding (an extra 5 mph) in locations that meet safety-corridor criteria or that generate a high concentration of pedestrians or bicyclists. Staff emphasized the decision uses both measured speeds and engineering judgment—including crash history, visibility and land use—to justify reductions and noted each segment has a data sheet showing the calculations.
Examples and notable recommendations Staff identified several specific segments: 1st Street from College to Columbia would be posted at 35 mph (down from a posted 40 mph); Indian Hill between Arrow Highway and Oak Vista would be posted at 35 mph to maintain consistency through the corridor; Miramar (Mills to Padua) was combined into a single residential segment and recommended at 25 mph; Mount Baldy Road from Patowa to the eastern city limit would remain at 45 mph based on collision history and roadway curvature. Overall, staff said there are no recommended citywide speed increases.
Public comment and data presented Fifteen written public comments were distributed for the item (two required redaction), and multiple speakers addressed the commission in favor of reductions. Parents and residents described personal near-miss collisions and urged action; Ross Pringle and a parent described the Sycamore Elementary “bike bus” that carries 20–40 children and must traverse several dangerous intersections. A CGU student presented preliminary collision figures (48 bicycle-related incidents from 2019–2024 in local police records) and a local academic summarized survey and state traffic-safety rankings showing Claremont among higher-risk cities in its size category for pedestrian and bicycle crashes in recent years.
Concerns and clarifying questions Commissioners pressed staff on how reductions were calculated, noting that in some places the proposed posted speed ends up 10 mph below the 80th percentile because existing posted speeds were higher; staff clarified that the study compares recommended posted speeds to the existing posted speeds and then documents how AB 43 and engineering judgment were applied. Commissioners also asked for five-year collision data and how the city would coordinate border streets with neighboring Pomona; staff said they had already informed Pomona of the pending survey and would coordinate implementation and enforcement planning with both Pomona and the police department.
Decision and next steps A commissioner moved and another seconded a motion to recommend the City Council adopt, by local ordinance, the speed-limit zones outlined in the revised 2026 radar speed survey. The commission unanimously approved the motion by roll-call vote. Staff said they will prepare an implementation schedule, a final cost estimate (staff’s preliminary estimate is about $175,000), and will coordinate a likely 30-day warning period with the police department before active enforcement. The project will be packaged and bid; staff will return with more detailed budget numbers and an implementation timeline when they take the item to council.
What remains open Staff told the commission the speed survey and its legal justification will be part of the council packet and that safety-corridor designations or other ordinances would be separate actions if council decides to adopt them. Commissioners asked staff to provide the detailed collision spreadsheets and to monitor outcomes after implementation; staff said the city’s local road safety plan and future surveys will provide the data to assess whether changes reduce collisions.
The commission also received a brief staff update that the Russian Village traffic-calming project has been bid and is scheduled to begin next week, with about four to five weeks of work and a new raised intersection planned. The meeting adjourned; the clerk announced the next regular meeting is May 28.
