Riverside City Council
May 5, 2026

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1 Citywide Speed Limit Reduction ProgramCity of Riverside City Council: May 5, 2026 1 IntroductionPhilip Nitollama, P .E., T.E.City Traffic EngineerCity of RiversidePublic Works Department, Traffic Engineering DivisionBryan Estrada, T.E.PrincipalRK Engineering Group, [email protected] SpeedLimit Reduction Program•A Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant funding program (FY 2023)•Citywide speed limit evaluation•Promote safer speeds and reduce severe and fatal crashes•Targeted community outreach and education•Enforcement strategies to support complianceContact 2 1
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2 Project BackgroundRK Engineering Group, Inc. (RK)•RK was awarded the contract in July 2025 to prepare engineering and traffic surveys (E&TS), collect traffic counts and speed surveys, identify safety corridors, & providing recommended speed limit changesProject Goals•Review speed limits on 321 roadways for potential speed reductions.•Apply new flexibility under AB 43, AB 1938, and AB 382 to establish safer, context-appropriate speed limits & support safety through engineering, education, outreach, and enforcement strategies.Project Background& Previous Actions Vehicle Speed comparison to chance of Pedestrian Injury and FatalityData source: US Department of Transportation, Literature Reviewed on Vehicle Travel Speeds and Pedestrian Injuries. March 2000.Image credit: San Francisco MTA Vision Zero Action Plan, February 2015:https://view.joomag.com/vision-zero-san-francisco/0685197001423594455?short 3Transportation Board (3/4/2026)Recommended approval to City Council (5-0 vote) Project BackgroundEngineering and Traffic Survey (E&TS)•An E&TS is mandatory to establish speed limits for enforcement using electronic devices such as radar or lidar.•Avoid “Speed Trap”, CVC Section 40802All local agencies must conduct Engineering and Traffic Surveys to do the following:•Enforce speed limits using radar and lidar equipment.•Raise or lower State dictated “prima facie” limit of 25 miles per hour.•Lower the otherwise permitted maximum speed of 65 miles per hour.California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD)•Section 2B.13 define the standards and requirements for conducting an E&TS in CaliforniaEngineering &Traffic Survey(E&TS) 4 3
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3 Project BackgroundAB 43 History•Signed into law October 8, 2021•Part of Vision Zero initiative aiming to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries by allowing more flexibility in setting speed limits.•Now incorporated into latest version of the CA MUTCD.Provides local agencies more authority to lower speed limits•Safety corridors & Business districts•High concentrations of bicyclists and pedestrians•Retain existing speed limits or restore previous speed limits•Declare prima facie speed limits of 20 or 15 mphAB 1938 clarifies legislative intent of AB 43.•Amends certain statutes to ensures speed limits remain eligible for radar and lidar enforcementAB 382 authorizes local authorities by ordinance or resolution to•Declares prima facie speed limits in school zones in certain conditionsAB 43 &AB 1938 & AB 382 5 Project BackgroundCVC Section 40802 currently establishes the time limits under which an E&TS is valid for radar or electronic enforcement, as follows.5 Years:An E&TS is valid for 5 years for radar/lidar enforcement.7 Years:May be extended to 7 years when all the following are met:•The arresting officer has completed a POST-certified 24-hour radar operator course.•If laser or other electronic devices are used, the officer has also completed a POST-certified 2-hour laser training course.•The radar/lidar device meets NHTSA operational standards and has been calibrated within the prior 3 years.14 Years:May remain valid for up to 14 years when all radar/lidar enforcement conditions are met and a registered engineer evaluates the roadway segment and determines that no significant changes in roadway or traffic conditions have occurred(e.g., land use, roadway width, traffic volume, adjoining property changes).Time Limits for anE&TS 6 5
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4 Project BackgroundRK performed the following data collection:•Field Review and visual inspection of each roadway segment•100 radar speed surveys for each segment.•Note: On lower-volume roadway segments where 100 vehicles could not be captured within a reasonable surveying period, tube counters were deployed to obtain the minimum of 50 valid free-flow speed observations.•Speed observation data was calculated to determine average speed, 85th percentile speed, and 10-mile per hour percentile speed.•24 Hour Average Daily Traffic (ADT) Counts obtained for each segment•5 years (60 Months) of collision records obtained for each segment through CHP California Crash Reporting System (CCRS)Data Collection and Speed Surveys 7 Project Background•When a speed limit is to be posted, it shall be established at the nearest 5 mph increment of the 85th-percentile speed of free-flowing traffic (CVC Section 22358.6(a))•The 85thPercentile Speed is the speed at or below which 85% of vehicles are observed to travel under free-flow conditions.•Often referred to as the Critical Speed. •Represents the speed that most drivers consider safe and reasonable.•Speed limits are typically set at the nearest 5 mph increment of the 85thpercentile speed.•Enforcement challenges may arise when speed limits are set too far below 85thpercentile speeds.85thPercentile Speed 8 85th%7
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5 9Project BackgroundThe CA MUTCD now defines a Safety Corridor as “a roadway segment within an overall roadway network where the highest number of serious injury and fatality crashes occur.”Safety Corridors are prioritized based on the following collisions•Fatal Collisions•Severe Injury Collisions•Pedestrian/Bicyclist Collisions63 Roadway Segments have been identified as Safety CorridorsSafety CorridorsAdams StreetAlessandro BoulevardArlington AvenueBlaine StreetCalifornia AvenueCanyon Crest DriveCentral AvenueChicago AvenueFourteenth StreetHole AvenueIndiana AvenueIowa AvenueJackson StreetJurupa AvenueLa Sierra AvenueLime StreetMadison StreetMagnolia AvenueMain StreetMarket StreetMartin Luther King BlvdMission Inn AvenueOlivewood AvenuePierce StreetSpruce StreetThird StreetTrautwein RoadTyler StreetUniversity AvenueVan Buren BoulevardVictoria Avenue 10 9
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6 Project Background•Roadway segments recommend for lowerspeed limits –135/321 (42%)•Roadway segments recommend for higherspeed limits –0Roadways recommended for lower speed limits:Summary of Findings & Next StepsAdams StreetAlessandro BlvdArizona AvenueArlington AvenueBlaine StreetBolton AvenueBox Springs BlvdBradley StreetBrockton AvenueCactus AvenueCalifornia AvenueCanyon Crest DrCentral AvenueChicago AvenueCitrus StreetCole AvenueCollett AvenueColumbia AvenueCook AvenueCridge StreetCypress AvenueDufferin AvenueFairview AvenueFillmore StreetFourteenth StreetFrances StreetGramercy PlaceGrand AvenueGreen Orchard PlaceHarrison StreetHawarden DriveHole AvenueHorizon View DriveHughes AlleyIndiana AvenueIowa AvenueIrving StreetIvy StreetJackson StreetJefferson StreetJohn F. Kennedy DrJurupa AvenueLa Sierra AvenueLemon StreetLime StreetLincoln AvenueLinden StreetMadison StreetMagnolia AvenueMain StreetMariposa AvenueMarket StreetMartin Luther King BlvdMary StreetMission Grove PkwyMission Inn AvenueMulberry StreetOrange StreetOrange Terrace PkwyPhilbin AvenuePolk StreetRansom RoadSierra StreetSierra Vista AvenueStreeter AvenueStrong StreetThird StreetTrautwein RoadTyler StreetUniversity AvenueVan Buren BoulevardVia Vista DriveVictoria AvenueWatkins DriveWells AvenueWood Road 11City Council – May 2026Signage Replacement & Implementation Plan –Summer & Fall 2026Data Driven Police Enforcement Project BackgroundThat the City Council:1. Introduce an Ordinance amending Riverside Municipal Code (RMC) Section 10.76.010 designating the prima facie speed limits for streets and portions thereof in accordance with provisions of section 10.20.020 and 10.20.030; and2. Approve the proposed Citywide Speed Limit Reduction Program, which includes Policy Recommendations and an Implementation Plan;and3. Authorizes City Staff to install new speed limit signs and pavement markings throughout the City as determined from the revised speed limit schedule and as required by the California Vehicle Code (CVC). Recommendations 12 11
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7 Thank you!Any Questions?
13Project BackgroundRK Engineering Group, Inc. (RK)•RK was awarded the contract in July 2025 to complete the citywide speed limit evaluation.•Responsibilities include:•Prepare Engineering and Traffic Survey (E&TS)•Collecting traffic counts and speed surveys•Identifying safety corridors•Providing recommended speed limit changesTransportation Board (3/4/2026)•Recommended approval to City Council•Voted Unanimously with 5-0 supportProject Background 14 13
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8 Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Grant•Riverside received a FY 2023 SS4A Supplemental Planning Grant through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.•Funding supports a citywide evaluation of posted speed limits to identify opportunities for safer speeds.•Study aligns with the SS4A Safe System Approach and national initiatives promoting safer roadway environments.Collision Trends•Speeding is the second leading collision factor in Riverside.•Over 3,050 speed-related collisions in five years.•Fatalities increased to 40 in 2022, highlighting the need for action.•Higher speeds dramatically increase the risk of severe injury and death, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists.Project Background 15 Project BackgroundUpdated E&TS Forms85th%
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11 Next StepsCity Council – May 2026Signage Replacement & Implementation Plan – Summer & Fall 2026Data Driven Police Enforcement 21 22
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