4914-8244-7440.3 014537.002
ORDINANCE NO. __
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF ATHERTON ADDING CHAPTER 10.06, RELATING TO SPEED LIMITS, TO TITLE 10, RELATING
TO VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC, OF THE ATHERTON MUNICIPAL CODE WHEREAS, cities and counties in the State of California are required to follow the California Vehicle Code ("CVC") to establish speed limits within their jurisdictions; and WHEREAS, CVC section 22358(a) requires that cities that declare prima facie speed limits to do so via ordinance; and
WHEREAS, the Town wishes to declare prima facie speed limits that are appropriate and facilitate the orderly movement of traffic and are reasonable and safe to comply with the CVC; and
WHEREAS, Assembly Bill 43 grants local authorities with flexibility to lower speed limits to road segments designated as safety corridors following the results of an engineering and traffic study ("E&TS") and permits E&TS's to be valid for up to 14 years if certain conditions are met; and
WHEREAS, the Town Engineer provided the requisite findings described in CVC section 40802 and the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices to extend the life of previous E&TS's to 14 years, which the City Council affirmatively adopts herein; and WHEREAS, in 2024, the Town declared Middlefield Road and Valparaiso Avenue as safety corridors; and
WHEREAS, the speed limit identified in the E&TS for Middlefield Road is more than reasonable or safe warranted based on its accident history, and the significant bicycle and pedestrian traffic associated with Encinal Elementary School and Menlo-Atherton High School.
Middlefield Road has been designated in the High Injury Network listings in the San Mateo County C/CAG Countywide and Town of Atherton Local Roadway Safety Plans, and is listed in the San Mateo County Safe Routes to School Youth-Based High Injury Network; and WHEREAS, the speed limit identified in the E&TS for Valparaiso Avenue is more than reasonable or safe based on based on the significant bicycle and pedestrian traffic associated with Menlo School and Sacred Heart Schools, its High Injury Network designation in the San Mateo County C/CAG Countywide and Town of Atherton Local Roadway Safety Plans, and its listing in the San Mateo County Safe Routes to School Youth-Based High Injury Network. Valparaiso Avenue is shared jurisdictionally with the City of Menlo Park, which has previously designated the street as a Safety Corridor with a reduced the speed limit of 25 miles per hour; and WHEREAS, the findings that the current speed limit for Middlefield Road and Valparaiso Avenue is more than reasonable or safe justifies a speed limit reduction of 5 mph as permitted by CVC 22358.7 to make the speed limit on those road segments reasonable and safe. 4914-8244-7440.3 014537.002
The City Council of the Town of Atherton does hereby ordain as follows:
SECTION 1: The following Chapter and Sections are added to Title 10 of the Atherton Municipal Code and read as follows:
Chapter 10.06 Speed Limits.
10.06.010 Purpose.
(a) The State of California has asserted broad authority over, and a statewide interest in, the entire field of regulating vehicles and traffic, as set forth in the California Vehicle Code, Section 21. (b) The state has established a set of prima facie speed limits applicable to various classes of roadway types, districts and locations (see California Vehicle Code Sections 22348 through 22366). Through California Vehicle Code Sections 22357 and 22358, the State has expressly authorized the Town to establish, by ordinance, declared speed limits that differ from the prima facie speed limits set under state law if, based on traffic and engineering surveys, the declared speed limit would facilitate the orderly movement of vehicles and traffic, and would be reasonable and safe.
(c) The intent of this chapter is to implement the Town's authority to establish declared speed limits when supported by engineering and traffic surveys and to respond to safety and use of the road by people driving, walking, and bicycling.
10.06.020 Definitions
(a) "Declared speed limit" means the speed limit for individual streets and roadway segments determined and declared by the city council in accordance with this chapter, as authorized by the California Vehicle Code. The term "declared speed limit" (as used in this chapter) shall include the "declared prima facie speed limit" or "maximum speed limit" (as used in California Vehicle Code Section 22357), or the "prima facie speed limit" (as used in California Vehicle Code Sections 22358, 22358.3 and 22358.4).
(b) "Prima facie speed limits" means the default speed limits for streets and highways established under California state law, as generally set forth in the California Vehicle Code, particularly Section 22348 et seq., unless amended under this chapter. (c) "Safety corridors" means streets as defined in California Vehicle Code Section 22358.7.
10.06.030 Setting Prima Facie Speed Limits
(a) The city council may determine and declare speed limits lower than the prima facie speed limits for any particular street or roadway segment if the city council determines, upon the basis of an engineering and traffic survey, that the prima facie speed limit is more than is reasonable or 4914-8244-7440.3 014537.002
safe, and that the declared speed limit is most appropriate to facilitate the orderly movement of traffic, and is reasonable and safe.
(b) The city council may determine and declare speed limits lower than the speed limit identified by an engineering and traffic survey by reducing speeds by an additional five (5) miles per hour in areas defined as a "safety corridor" or near land uses that generate a high concentration of pedestrians and bicyclists (California Vehicle Code Section 22358.7). For speed limits reduced pursuant to California Vehicle Code section 22358.7, the Town shall issue only warning citations for violations exceeding the speed limit by 10 miles per hour or less for the first thirty (30) days that a lower speed limit is in effect.
10.06.040 Findings for Speed Limit Reduction Pursuant to California Vehicle Code 22358.7. (a) The following road segments are eligible for a 5 mph reduction pursuant to California Vehicle Code section 22358.7 because the road segment is either a safety corridor or generates high concentrations of bicyclists or pedestrians (as specified in California Vehicle Code section 22358.7), and the speed limit following the engineering and traffic study is still more than reasonable or safe. For each road segment speed limit lowered pursuant to California Vehicle Code section 22358.7, the findings that support the reduction are listed below:
(1) Middlefield Road – Middlefield Road is a designated safety corridor in the Town of Atherton due to its accident history, and the significant bicycle and pedestrian traffic associated with Encinal Elementary School and Menlo-Atherton High School. Middlefield Road fronts multiple schools and has limited street lighting at night. Middlefield Road has been designated in the High Injury Network listings in the San Mateo County C/CAG Countywide and Town of Atherton Local Roadway Safety Plans, and is listed in the San Mateo County Safe Routes to School Youth-Based High Injury Network;
(2) Valparaiso Avenue – Valparaiso Avenue is a designated safety corridor in both the Town of Atherton and the City of Menlo Park. Valparaiso Avenue fronts carries significant bicycle and pedestrian traffic associated with Menlo School and Sacred Heart Schools. Valparaiso Avenue has been designated in the High Injury Network listings in the San Mateo County C/CAG Countywide and Town of Atherton Local Roadway Safety Plans, and is listing in the San Mateo County Safe Routes to School Youth-Based High Injury Network. Valparaiso Avenue is shared jurisdictionally with the City of Menlo Park, which has previously designated the street as a Safety Corridor and reduced the speed limit to 25 miles per hour;
10.06.050 Declared Prima Facie Speed Limits.
No person shall drive a vehicle at a speed greater than the declared speed limit for the street segment:
Street or Roadway Segment Declared
Speed Limit
Alameda De Las Pulgas – (between Camino Al Lago and Stockbridge Ave) 30 mph Alejandra Avenue – (between El Camino Real and Emilie Ave) 25 mph 4914-8244-7440.3 014537.002
Atherton Avenue – (between Alameda de las Pulgas and Stevenson Ln) 30 mph Atherton Avenue – (between Stevenson Ln and El Camino Real) 25 mph Camino Al Lago – (between Alameda De Las Pulgas and End of Street) 25 mph Elena Avenue – (between Atherton Ave and Valparaiso Ave) 25 mph Encinal Avenue – (between Middlefield Rd and Laurel St) 25 mph Fair Oaks Lane – (between Middlefield Rd and El Camino Real) 25 mph Frederick Avenue – (between Greenoaks Ave and Ringwood Ave) 25 mph Glenwood Avenue – (between Laurel St and Middlefield Rd) 25 mph Greenoaks Avenue – (Between James Ave and Frederick Ave) 25 mph Isabella Avenue – (between El Camino Real and Elena Ave) 25 mph James Avenue – (between Middlefield Rd and Irving Ave) 25 mph Marsh Road – (between Fair Oaks Ave and Middlefield Rd) 30 mph Middlefield Road – Full Length (Encina Ave to Ringwood Ave) 25 mph Oak Grove Avenue – (between Marcussen Dr and Middlefield Rd) 25 mph Oak Grove Avenue – (between Middlefield Rd and Greenoaks Ave) 25 mph Park Lane – (between Elena Ave and Valparaiso Ave) 25 mph Polhemus Avenue – (between Alameda de las Pulgas and Selby Ln) 25 mph Selby Lane – (between El Camino Real and W. Selby Ln) 25 mph Selby Lane – (between W Selby Ln and Atherton Ave) 25 mph Stockbridge Avenue – (between Alameda las Pulgas and El Camino Real) 25 mph Valparaiso Avenue – (El Camino Real to Cotton Street) 25 mph Walsh Road – (between Alameda de las Pulgas and Valley Rd) 25 mph Watkins Avenue – (between El Camino Real and Middlefield Rd) 25 mph SECTION 2: Severability. The City Council hereby declares it would have passed this Ordinance sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, and section by section, and does hereby declare that any provision in the Ordinance severable and, if for any reason any sentence, paragraph, or section of this Ordinance shall be held invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining parts of this Ordinance.
SECTION 3: Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be posted in at least three public places according to law and shall take effect and be in force from and after 30 days after its passage and adoption.
Introduced on the __ day of __, 2025.
Passed and adopted as ordinance of the City Council of the Town of Atherton at a regular meeting thereof held on the __ day of __, 2025 by the following vote:
AYES COUNCILMEMBERS:
NOES COUNCILMEMBERS:
ABSENT COUNCILMEMBERS:
ABSTAIN COUNCILMEMBERS:
4914-8244-7440.3 014537.002
ATTEST: CITY CLERK
MAYOR