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Committee approves pilot to study lowering neighborhood speed limits and expands traffic-calming tools
Summary
Council approved a pilot to test lowering prima facie neighborhood speed limits from 30 to 25 mph in targeted areas and discussed quick-build traffic-calming options, funding, and a proposed online application for requests. Staff said engineering studies (state-required) and funding would be needed before changes take effect.
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted to advance a pilot program to study lowering prima facie neighborhood speed limits and to pursue more holistic traffic-calming measures.
Juan Ayala, interim public works director, told the committee an engineering study is required by state law to change a prima facie speed limit from 30 to 25 mph on two-lane undivided streets. Ayala proposed a geographically focused pilot in District 7 that would target streets within a quarter-mile radius of schools, community centers and parks and recommended pairing any speed-limit change with traffic-calming friction measures rather than relying on signage alone.
"In order to do that, the first thing that has to be done is that you have to have an engineering study," Ayala said, noting the study applies to two-lane undivided highways and the city must publish results to the state and on the city's website after enactment.
Why it matters: Council members said lowering the speed limit alone has shown limited effect in prior cases; combining a 25-mph limit with physical calming (speed humps, bulb-outs, parking restrictions, or quick-build devices) produces larger safety gains. The committee discussed piloting mail-out signature collection to reduce barriers for residents to request traffic calming and asked staff for district-level cost estimates for both the study and broader traffic-calming programs.
Funding, timelines and tools: Ayala said there is no FY26 operating budget for the pilot but noted a $1,000,000 Vision Zero traffic-calming fund and a roughly $520,000 Safe Streets for All grant to support quick-build demonstration and evaluation phases through 2026–2028. He said a digital neighborhood-traffic-calming application is being tested and a traffic-calming handbook and complete-streets design guide are expected by early-to-mid 2026.
Council action: A council member moved to approve the pilot program; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. Staff will return with follow-up memos estimating the cost of an engineering study per district, options to combine traffic-calming elements with a speed-limit study, and a proposed pilot geography and timeline.
Next steps: Staff agreed to provide cost estimates for districtwide studies (an earlier referenced study cost was about $40,000), estimates for signage replacement, and recommendations for quick-build pilots that council offices could propose while the handbook and larger grant projects move forward.
