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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Ordinance amending Glendale Municipal Code section 10.24.020 to lower the posted speed limits on 21 roadway segments.
1. Ordinance amending Section 10.24.020 of the Glendale Municipal Code relating to prima facie speed limits on non-local city streets.
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Action Item
Approved for August 12, 2025 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report and the accompanying ordinance are presented for City Council consideration to lower the posted speed limits on 21 of 29 studied roadway segments based on findings from 2025 Engineering and Traffic Surveys (E&TS). The revised E&TS data indicate that certain street segments in Glendale now support a prima facie speed limit reduction. An amendment to Glendale Municipal Code section 10.24.020 is required to legally establish and enforce these new speed limits. Recent changes in state law (Assembly Bill 43) provide additional flexibility and policy support for these reductions by allowing local authorities to set safer speed limits where justified. Adoption of this ordinance will align the posted speeds with prevailing safe speeds in accordance with state law and engineering criteria.
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council introduce and thereafter adopt an ordinance reflecting the following changes to Glendale Municipal Code section 10.24.020 relating to prima facie speed limits on non-local City streets, as shown in Exhibit A.
Eight other street segments were evaluated through an E&TS, with no changes made to the speed limit due to findings supporting the existing speed limit. 8a2
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ANALYSIS
Speed limits are set according to the guidelines of the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA-MUTCD) and the California Vehicle Code (CVC). These guidelines specify that the posted speed limit should normally be established at the nearest 5 MPH increment to the measured 85th-percentile speed of free-flowing traffic.
The 85th-percentile speed is the speed at or below which 85% of vehicles are observed to travel under free-flow conditions. This metric typically lies about one standard deviation above the average speed and is commonly used as a threshold to define the upper limit of reasonable and prudent driving behavior. In cases where the speed limit should be rounded up to the nearest 5 MPH increment, a local authority may decide instead to round this value down to the lower 5 MPH increment. Additionally, if after completing an E&TS, a local authority finds that the speed limit is still more than is reasonable or safe, the local authority may determine and declare a prima facie speed limit that has been reduced an additional 5 MPH for either of the following reasons:
The portion of highway has been designated as a safety corridor; or The portion of highway is adjacent to any land or facility that generates high concentrations of bicyclists or pedestrians, especially those from vulnerable groups such as children, seniors, persons with disabilities, and the unhoused.
Exhibit B provides an example of a typical Engineering and Traffic Survey.
2025 E&TS Results and Implementation
The Public Works Department recently completed a new cycle of E&TSs for Glendale’s arterial and collector streets. There are a total of 95 street segments in the City of Glendale that require periodic E&TS updates for speed enforcement purposes. In the current ordinance, 83 street segments determine speed limits above 25 MPH and 12 street segments determine speed limits of 25 MPH. However, three 25 MPH street segments were inadvertently shown in the list of 83 street segments above 25 MPH; therefore, these street segments should be moved to the list of 25 MPH streets segments.
The three street segments are:
Chevy Chase Drive from Leith Road and Charing Cross Road – 25 mph Concord Street from Doran Street to Glenoaks Boulevard – 25 mph Lowell Avenue from Foothill Boulevard to Santa Carlotta Street – 25 mph
In 2025, 29 segments had surveys that expired or are due to expire and were re- surveyed to remain in compliance with the CVC and CA-MUTCD standards. Speed limits on eight street segments remain unchanged; however, 21 roadway segments qualify for speed limit reductions under the recent AB 43 amendments to the CVC. For these segments, the updated E&TSs support lowering the speed limits from the previously posted values.
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The 21 and 8 segments are shown, respectively, in the tables below.
Street From To Existing
Prima
Facie
Speed
Limit
Proposed
Prima
Facie
Speed
Limit
1. Boston Ave Foothill Blvd Markridge Rd 30 25
2. Brand Blvd Glenoaks Blvd Kenneth Rd 30 25
3. Central Ave San Fernando Rd Colorado St 35 30
*4. Chevy Chase Dr Glenoaks Blvd Leith Rd 30 25
5. Dunsmore Ave Foothill Blvd Markridge Rd 30 25
6. Flower St Air Way Allen Ave 30 25
7. Glendale Ave San Fernando Rd Chevy Chase Dr 30 25
8. Glendale Ave Colorado St Monterey Rd 30 25
9. Glenoaks Blvd Pacific Ave Brand Blvd 40 35
10. Glenoaks Blvd Avonoak Terrace Chevy Chase Dr 30 25
*11. Honolulu Ave La Crescenta Ave Orangedale Ave 35 30
12. Honolulu Ave Orangedale Ave Verdugo Rd 25 15
13. Lowell Ave 210 Freeway Foothill Blvd 30 25
14. Mountain St Verdugo Rd 2 Fwy 35 30
15. San Fernando Rd Spazier Ave Grandview Ave 35 30
16. San Fernando Rd Grandview Ave Goodwin Ave 35 30
17. Santa Carlotta St Lowell Ave Maryland Ave 30 25
*18. Verdugo Blvd Verdugo Rd East City Limit 35 30
*19. Verdugo Rd Chevy Chase Dr Glendale Ave 35 30
*20. Victory Blvd West City Limit East City Limit 35 30 *21. Western Ave South City Limit Lake St 30 25
*Location 4 proposed prima facie speed limit changed from 30 to 25 after supplemental staff review of the E&TS.
*Location 11 limits changed from Honolulu Ave between Las Palmas Ave & La Crescenta Ave to Honolulu Ave between La Crescenta Ave & Orangedale Ave.
*Location 18 limits changed from Verdugo Blvd between Verdugo Rd & Easterly City Limit to Verdugo Rd & East City Limit.
*Location 19 provides a correction for the street name of Glendale Avenue. Currently, the Glendale Municipal Code incorrectly identifies Glendale Avenue as Glendale Boulevard. 8a4
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*Location 20 limits changed from Victory Blvd between Westerly City Limit & Southerly City Limit to Victory Blvd between West City Limit & East City Limit
*Location 21 limits changed from Western Ave between Southerly City Limit & Lake St to South City Limit & Lake St.
Street From To Existing
Prima
Facie
Speed
Limit
Proposed
Prima
Facie
Speed
Limit
1. Brand Blvd Colorado St Broadway 25 25
*2. Camino San Rafael Calle Canta North City Limits 40 40 *3. Fern Ln Verdugo Rd East City Limits 30 30
4. Glenoaks Blvd Rossmoyne Ave Glendale Ave 25 25
5. Glenoaks Blvd Glendale Ave Avonoak Terrace 25 25
6. Glenwood Rd Grandview Ave School St 25 25
7. Grandview Ave Flower St Glenoaks Blvd 25 25
8. Pacific Ave Glenoaks Blvd Stocker St 25 25
*Location 2 provides a correction for the street name of Calle Canta. Currently, the Glendale Municipal Code incorrectly identifies Calle Canta as Calle Canto.
*Location 3 limits changed from Fern Lane between Verdugo Rd & Easterly City Limit to Verdugo Rd & East City Limit.
To legally enforce the new speed limits on the 21 segments using radar or lidar, the City must amend its ordinance to reflect the updated survey results. The roadway segments proposed for speed limit reductions are listed in the first table above. Exhibit A also incorporates corrections for the three 25 MPH street segments listed above.
Another component of the E&TS is the three-year reported collision rates. Actual collision rates are compared to expected rates when assessing whether to adjust or retain speed limits. The expected rates are based on statewide averages, while actual rates are calculated using collision counts, average daily traffic (ADT), and segment lengths. A summary of both expected and actual collision rates for all 29 segments is listed in Exhibit C.
With the proposed amendments to the ordinance, there are 69 street segments determined to have speed limits above 25 MPH, 25 streets with speed limits of 25 MPH, and one street segment with a speed limit of 15 MPH.
The City will install updated speed limit signs to provide drivers with speed information that reflects current roadway conditions and implement traffic signal timing modifications to accommodate the changes in speed limits.
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There will be a one-time estimated cost of $75,000 to replace existing speed limit signs ($25,000) and modify traffic signal timing parameters ($50,000) at traffic signal intersection along the affected street segments.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
The Transportation and Parking Commission (TPC) had a public meeting on June 23, 2025, to discuss the proposed posted speed limit changes. There was no public opposition and the TPC unanimously passed a motion recommending the City Council to adopt an ordinance amending Glendale Municipal Code Section 10.24.020 as shown in Exhibit A.
The Public Works Department has coordinated with the Glendale Police Department – Traffic Bureau regarding the proposed posted speed limit changes.
FISCAL IMPACT
The one-time estimated cost to replace existing speed limit signs and modify traffic signal timing parameters will cost $75,000, which was included as a part of the FY 2025-26 budget. No new appropriation is being requested at this time.
Existing Appropriation
Amount Account String Funding Source
$50,000 43110-1010-PWD-7516 General Fund
$25,000 45350-1010-PWD-7517 General Fund
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
The activity under consideration is not a “project” within the meaning of CEQA. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(2), the term “project” does not include continuing administrative or maintenance activities, including general policy or procedure making (except as applied to specific instances not germane to this Ordinance). Even if it is a “project,” this activity is categorically exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15301, in that it consists of the operation, maintenance, or minor alteration of existing public facilities or topographical features, namely, existing streets, involving negligible or no expansion of former use. In any event, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment; thus, it is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3).
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Alternative 1: Do not introduce and adopt the ordinance amending Glendale Municipal Code related to prima facie speed limits on non-local City Streets. No change would be made to the posted speed limits, which are not supported 8a6
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by the latest E&TS; thus, the City would forgo the potential safety benefits of the proposed reductions. Enforcement of the speed limits would also be challenging given they are not supported by the E&TS.
Alternative 2: The City Council may consider any other alternative not proposed by staff.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Daniel Hernandez, Director of Public Works
Prepared by:
Carlos Cortez, Civil Engineering Assistant
Pastor Casanova, T.E., Principal Traffic Engineer
Arek Harmandayan, T.E., Senior Traffic Engineer
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit A – 10.24.020 Prima Facie Speed Limits on Non-Local City Streets Exhibit B – Typical Engineering and Traffic Survey Example Exhibit C – Collision Rates