SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Speed limits on more than 30 miles of Santa Monica streets will be lowered, following unanimous approval by the Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday, August 27th.

These updates are the results of a required speed survey led but the Santa Monica Department of Transportation Mobility Division earlier this year to ensure that the City’s speed limits remain valid. The survey, conducted from Jan. 27 through Jul. 29, includes measurement of vehicular speeds along roadway segments to determine the speed of a majority of drivers, which is the most effective attribute in establishing speed limits. 
–California is bound by setting speeds using the 85 percentile.

The study recommended only one increase in speed limit, from 25 to 30 miles per hour, on a 0.3-mile segment of California Avenue. A full list of approved speed adjustments, recommended in consultation with the Santa Monica Police Department, is included below. 

The ordinance will be adopted 30 days after the second reading anticipated for Sept 10th, after which the city will begin rolling out the new signage exhibiting the updated speed limits beginning this fall that should be complete by the end of the year.
For more information you can view the staff report here.

Please note the advocacy efforts led by CalBike and supported by us and advocacy organizations throughout state to change this method of setting speeds in California: Assemblymember Friedman tweaks speed limit laws to save lives & Speed Kills: Addressing the Real Road Hazard

The proposed speed limit changes support the city’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating fatal and severe injury crashes on city streets by improving safety for all roadway users. 

The City Council adopted Vision Zero in February 2016. Unsafe speed is the second most common violation cited in fatal and severe crashes in the city, at 14 percent of the total. Crashes at slower speeds are less likely to result in fatalities, and the application of reasonable and safe speed limits allows for effective enforcement of speed limits throughout the city. 

“Reducing vehicle speeds on our roads is vital to create safer conditions for getting around in our city,” Department of Transportation Director Anuj Gupta said. “It is one of the many ways Santa Monica is creating a street network that is more safe, connected and attractive for all roadway users.” 

Reduction to 35 mph 

• Olympic Boulevard between 11th Street and Centinela Avenue – from 40 to 35 mph 

Reduction to 30 mph 

• Lincoln Boulevard between I-10 Freeway and Pico Boulevard – from 35 to 30 mph 
• Ocean Park Boulevard between 23rd Street and Centinela Avenue – from 35 to 30 mph
• Pico Boulevard between Lincoln Boulevard and Centinela Avenue – from 35 to 30 mph 

Reduction to 25 mph 

• 2nd Street between Wilshire Boulevard and Colorado Avenue — from 30 to 25 mph 
• 4th Street between Colorado Avenue and Pico Boulevard — from 30 to 25 mph 
• 11th Street between San Vicente Boulevard and Marine Street — from 30 to 25 mph
• 14th Street between San Vicente Boulevard and Ashland Avenue — from 30 to 25 mph
• 20th Street between Wilshire and Pico boulevards — from 30 to 25 mph 
• 26th Street between San Vicente and Cloverfield boulevards – from 30 to 25 mph
• Colorado Avenue between Ocean Avenue and 17th Street — from 30 to 25 mph 
• Dewey Street between Robson Avenue and 23rd Street — from 30 to 25 mph 
• Main Street between Colorado Avenue and Pico Boulevard — from 30 to 25 mph
• Marine Street between Lincoln Boulevard and 17th Street — from 30 to 25 mph
• Montana Avenue between Ocean Avenue and Stanford Street — from 30 to 25 mph
• Neilson Way between Pico Boulevard and Marine Street — from 30 to 25 mph 
• Ocean Avenue between the north city limit and Pico Boulevard — from 30 to 25 mph
• Ocean Park Boulevard between Barnard Way and 23rd Street — from 30 to 25 mph 
• Pico Boulevard between Appian Way and Lincoln Boulevard — from 35 to 25 mph
• Stewart Street between Colorado Avenue and Pico Boulevard — from 30 to 25 mph
• Wilshire Boulevard between Ocean Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard — from 30 to 25 mph

Reduction to 20 mph 

• 6th Street between Pico Boulevard and Pier Avenue — from 30 to 20 mph 
• 20th Street between Pico and Ocean Park boulevards — from 25 to 20 mph 
• Appian Way between Pacific Coast Highway and Bay Street — from 25 to 20 mph 
• Ashland Avenue between Neilson Way and Lincoln Boulevard — from 25 to 20 mph
• Barnard Way between Hollister Avenue and Neilson Way — from 25 to 20 mph 
• California Avenue between Ocean Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard — from 25 to 20 mph 
• Michigan Avenue between Lincoln Boulevard and 19th Street — from 25 (statutory) to 20 mph
• Washington Avenue between Ocean Avenue and Stanford Street — from 25 to 20 mph