AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: September 1, 2026Item Number:
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Laurence S. Wiener, City Attorney
Subject: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS AMENDING THE
BEVERLY HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE REGARDING SPECIAL SPEED ZONES,
AND MAKING A DETERMINATION OF EXEMPTION UNDER THE
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)
Attachments: 1. Ordinance
RECOMMENDATIONIt is recommended that the City Council move to waive the full reading and adopt the Ordinance entitled: “AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS AMENDING THE BEVERLY
HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE REGARDING SPECIAL SPEED ZONES, AND MAKING ADETERMINATION OF EXEMPTION UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)”.
INTRODUCTION
At its meeting of August 11, 2026, the City Council conducted a first reading of this Ordinance and introduced it.This Ordinance amends several sections of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code to lower speed limits based on changes to State law that allow cities more flexibility in setting safe and enforceable speed limits.
DISCUSSION
At the meeting on August 11, 2026, the City Council made changes to the Ordinance. In order to set the speed limit along Sunset Boulevard uniformly at 35 miles per hour, Section 7-2-101 of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code, as amended by this Ordinance, was revised as follows:
• In Subsection A, “Sunset Boulevard, east of Alpine Drive” was deleted. • In Subsection B, “Sunset Boulevard, west of Alpine Drive” was deleted and replaced with “Sunset Boulevard.”
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Meeting Date: September 1, 2026
These changes have now been incorporated into the Ordinance being presented to the City Council for adoption.ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
Staff has assessed the ordinance in accordance with the authority and criteria contained in theCalifornia Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the State CEQA Guidelines, and the environmental regulations of the City. The Ordinance is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Class 1 — Existing Facilities), as the action involves minor alterations to existing public streets involving no expansion of use. No physical improvements, grading, or changes to roadwaygeometry are proposed.
Additionally, the Ordinance is exempt from CEQA under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), which provides that activity is exempt from CEQA where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. Here, the Ordinance allows for reductions in existing speed limits, in line with recent changes to State law, and the designation of Safety Corridors and Business Activity Districts toenhance roadway safety. These measures will not involve any physical alterations or activities thatcould affect the environment and are not expected to have any significant environmental impact.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with the proposed amendments to the Beverly Hills Municipal Code.
Laurence S. Wiener
City Attorney
Approved By
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Attachment
1 ORDINANCE NO. 26-0-
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS AMENDINGTHE BEVERLY HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE REGARDING SPECIAL
SPEED ZONES, AND MAKING A DETERMINATION OF
EXEMPTION UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTALQUALITY ACT (CEQA)
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS HEREBY ORDAINS AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Article I (Special Speed Zones) of Chapter 2 (Traffic Regulations) of Title 7 (Traffic, Parking, and Public Transportation) of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code is herebyamended to revise Section 7-2-101 and add new Section 7-2-103 and Section 7-2-104, to read as follows:
“7-2-101: INCREASE OF STATE SPEED LIMIT IN CERTAIN ZONES.
It is hereby determined upon the basis of an engineering and traffic survey pursuant to Vehicle Code 22357 that a speed greater than twenty five (25) miles per hour wouldfacilitate the orderly movement of vehicular traffic and would be reasonable and safe upon the streets set forth in this section, and it is further determined that the speeds designated herein are appropriate to facilitate the orderly movement oftraffic in a reasonable and safemanner.
A. Thirty (30) miles per hour on:
Benedict Cañon Drive.Beverly Boulevard.Coidwater Cañon Drive.Doheny Drive, north of Santa Monica Boulevard.La Cienega Boulevard.
North Santa Monica Boulevard.
Olympic Boulevard.
San Vicente Boulevard.
Wilshire Boulevard, west of North Santa Monica Boulevard. —1—
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B. Thirty five (35) miles per hour on:
Sunset Boulevard.
“7-2-103: DECREASE OF STATE SPEED LIMIT IN BUSINESS ACTIVITY DISTRICTS”
Vehicle Code Section 22358.9 authorizes local authorities by ordinance to determine anddeclare prima facie speed limits of twenty (20) miles per hour on streets contiguous to abusiness activity district when specified conditions are met, it is determined and declared that a prima facie maximum speed limit oftwenty (20) miles per hour is found appropriate,reasonable and safe to facilitate the orderly movement of traffic on those portions of the streets designated herein:
Bedford Drive between North Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard.
Beverly Drive between North Santa Monica Boulevard and south City limits.Brighton Way between Wilshire Boulevard Crescent Drive.
Camden Drive between North Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard.Cañon Drive between North Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard.Clifton Way between Cañon Drive and Rexford Drive.Crescent Drive between North Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard.
Dayton Way between Wilshire Boulevard and Rexford Drive.Linden Drive between South Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard.Rexford Drive between North Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard.Roxbury Drive between North Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard.Rodeo Drive between North Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard.
South Santa Monica Boulevard between west City limits and Rexford Drive.
Section 2. CEQA. The City Council finds that the adoption of this Ordinance is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Class I - Existing Facilities), as the action involves minor alterations to existing -2-
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public streets involving no expansion of use. No physical improvements, grading, or changes to roadway geometry are proposed. Additionally, the City Council finds that the adoption of this Ordinance is exempt from CEQA pursuant to the general Rule (14 C.C.R. Section 1506 1(b)(3)) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility the adoption ofthis Ordinance may have a significant effect on the environment.
Section 3. Severability. If any section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this Ordinance or the application thereof to any person or place, is for anyreason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the final decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this Ordinance shall be and remain in full force and effect.
Section 4. Publication. The City Clerk shall cause this Ordinance to be published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation published and circulated in the City within fifteen (15) days after its passage in accordance with Section 36933 ofthe Government Code, shall certify to the adoption of this Ordinance, and shall cause this Ordinance and her certification, togetherwith proof of publication, to be entered in the Book of Ordinances of the Council of this City.
Section 5. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall go into effect and be in full force and effect at 12:01 a.m. on the thirty-first (3 1st) day after its passage.
Adopted:Effective:
CRAIG A. CORMAN Mayor of theCity of Beverly Hills, California ATTEST:
______________________(SEAL)
HUMA ARMEDCity Clerk
[signatures continue]
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APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED AS TO CONTENT:
LAURENCE S. WIENER RYAN GOHLICHCity Attorney City Manager -4-
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