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Commission recommends council adopt 30 mph posted limit for Williams Road after 2026 traffic survey
Summary
Following a 2026 engineering traffic survey that recorded an 85th-percentile speed of 37 mph on Williams Road, traffic staff recommended a posted limit of 30 mph based on MUTCD/MTC guidelines and roadway conditions; the commission voted to recommend the council adopt the resolution.
Traffic division staff presented the 2026 Engineering Traffic Surveys and recommended speed-limit changes to the Traffic and Transportation Commission on Thursday, including a recommended posted limit of 30 mph for Williams Road.
Jonathan Hernandez explained the methodology: staff collect speed data for 100 vehicles under normal conditions, compute the 85th-percentile speed (the speed at or below which 85% of drivers travel), round according to the California MUTCD/MTCD guidance to the nearest five miles per hour, and may reduce the posted speed by up to 5 mph for roadway conditions. Hernandez said the Williams Road survey produced an 85th-percentile speed of 37 mph; following rounding guidance and consideration of on-street parking, driveways and intersections, staff recommended setting the posted speed to 30 mph.
Hernandez noted that California Vehicle Code and guidance require engineering traffic surveys be conducted every five to seven years in order for posted speed limits to be enforceable; if a survey is not current, posted speed limits may not be considered properly benchmarked. He also explained that Assembly Bill 43 (July 2024) allows a further 5-mph reduction on segments designated as safety corridors after an engineering report and that safety-corridor criteria focus on crash rates and the presence of vulnerable road users.
Commissioners asked whether police crash reports factor into speed setting; Hernandez said crash-report data do not set the posted limit (the engineering survey does), but staff coordinates with police after a posted change so the department is aware of new limits. Commissioners also asked about enforcement and a possible grace period; Hernandez said enforcement and warnings are at the police department's discretion. Several commissioners noted Williams Road is a major arterial with a planned $60 million redesign that eventually could change the roadway and require a new study.
The commission voted in a roll-call to recommend that City Council adopt a resolution approving the speed limits as recommended by the 2026 Engineering Traffic Survey, including the 30-mph recommendation for Williams Road. The item will proceed to the City Council for final action.
