CITY OF SAN MATEO
CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 16 Section Name: PUBLIC HEARING Account Number: 10-4661-01 File ID: 26-11622 TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Public Works Department
MEETING DATE: September 22, 2026 Attachment 1,2,3 amended on 9.22.2026 SUBJECT:
Citywide Comprehensive Speed Limit Update — Ordinance Introduction RECOMMENDATION:
Introduce Ordinances establishing updated speed limits on City roadways, superseding all existing Ordinances establishing speed limits on City roadways, except for school zone speed limits previously adopted by Ordinance, which shall remain unaffected.
BACKGROUND:
The 2026 Strategic Plan identifies safety as part of the Transportation Priority Initiative. Working toward this Initiative, Public Works and Police Department staff have advanced programs, enforcement efforts, and infrastructure improvements intended to reduce collisions, encourage safer travel behavior, and support a transportation network for all users. Speed management remains a core tool for improving safety by encouraging appropriate vehicle speeds, improving compliance with posted limits, and reducing the potential for serious injury or death when crashes occur. Furthermore, it aligns with the General Plan 2040 Vision Zero policy and the City’s Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP), both grounded in the Safe Systems approach.
Beginning in 2022, the City prioritized school zones for speed management and implemented 15 mph school zone speed limits and related 25 mph approach zones citywide to improve safety around schools where school children and other vulnerable users are present. These changes were adopted by Resolution and remain in effect, with installation completed citywide in early 2024.
Brief CVC Introduction on How Speed Limits Are Set
The California Vehicle Code (CVC) establishes the requirements for setting and enforcing speed limits on city roadways.
Most city streets, such as local residential-type streets, are subject to default speed limits established under state law and, when properly established and signed, can be enforced using tools such as radar and lidar. However, for certain roadways such as larger arterials or certain collectors, state law requires an Engineering and Traffic Survey (ETS) to support the posted speed limit and maintain the City’s ability to use these enforcement tools.
An ETS is a prescribed process for determining an appropriate speed limit. Observed vehicle speeds provide the starting point for the recommended speed, with state law allowing the recommendation to be lowered by specified amounts when certain roadway, safety, or other conditions apply. This means there is limited flexibility to depart from observed speeds when setting limits through the ETS process.
The City’s approach is to use the flexibility provided by state law to establish the lowest defensible speed limits appropriate for each roadway’s context, function, and safety needs. Where an ETS is required, the City will apply the
CITY OF SAN MATEO
provisions that are appropriate to the roadway and its safety context while maintaining the ability to use radar, lidar, and other appropriate enforcement tools.
Comprehensive Citywide Update and Ordinance Framework
The City evaluated all roadways citywide to determine which segments require an ETS under state law. This evaluation identified 124 roadway segments requiring an ETS. All other roadways fall within the state’s default speed limits of 25 mph and can be enforced accordingly. Staff worked with a consultant to survey speeds on each of the segments and to work through the process allowed by state law to determine if a recommendation is warranted for setting a lower speed limit.
After surveying speeds on the 124 segments, 96 roadways are proposed to retain the existing speed limit, ten roadways are proposed for reduced speed limits, and 18 roadways are proposed to have increased speed limits. All 124 roadway segments and their proposed speed limits can be found in Attachment 3. Attachment 1 – Proposed Ordinance includes updates to all applicable street segments, except for those proposed in Attachment 2 and those previously adopted relating to school zones. Attachment 2 is a proposed Ordinance for two street segments on S Delaware Street, from Birch Avenue to Concar Drive, and from Birch Avenue to E 5th Avenue.
State law requires speed limits established through the ETS process to be formally adopted by local Ordinance and speed limit signs to be installed before the newly adopted speed limits may be enforced. To implement the citywide speed limit update, staff recommends that the City Council introduce both a comprehensive Ordinance establishing the proposed speed limits for the roadway segments requiring an ETS, as well as a separate Ordinance covering S. Delaware Street to facilitate recusal by one Council member in order to address a conflict of interest.
The City currently has multiple older Ordinances establishing speed limits on individual streets throughout San Mateo. As part of this update, the proposed Ordinances will supersede all prior speed limit Ordinances and consolidate the applicable speed limits into two Ordinances. This approach will streamline administration, reduce fragmentation across the many prior Ordinances, and simplify future updates. This will not affect the school zone speed limits discussed above as those were adopted by resolution, pursuant to the vehicle code.
The ETS results and resulting speed limit recommendations are valid for the next seven years. Validity may be extended to 14 years if a registered engineer determines that no significant changes in roadway or traffic conditions have occurred, consistent with CVC Section 40802 requirements.
Based on the ETS analysis and staff recommendations that balance legal enforceability with the City’s safety objectives, the proposed Ordinances update speed limits on the 124 evaluated segments citywide.
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council introduce Ordinances that establish updated speed limits for the entire City, consistent with the CVC framework and ETS findings summarized in Attachment 3, superseding all previous Ordinances that establish speed limits on local roadways in the City. School zone speed limits adopted by Resolution will remain unaffected.
Next Steps
This item represents the introduction (first reading) of the proposed Ordinances. If approved, the Ordinances will return to City Council for second reading and adoption as a consent item. Following adoption, staff will procure and install approximately 110 signs citywide to reflect the new speed limits, which is expected to take up to six months.
Once installation is complete, the Police Department will conduct temporary increased targeted enforcement on the 19 streets where the speed limit will increase from the existing posted limit. Prioritization will be based on a combination of the magnitude of the speed change, the overall speed limit, roadway classification, enforcement knowledge of reported speeding and observed violations or other demonstrated enforcement needs.
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BUDGET IMPACT:
Implementation of the recommended speed limit changes will require sign verification and updates across the affected roadway segments. This work will be completed by a combination of contracted work and work performed by the Public Works Department’s Field Maintenance Division. The total cost is estimated at approximately $50,000. Costs will be absorbed within the existing Citywide Engineering and Traffic Study Update (46R034) project budget and are not expected to require additional appropriation.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This item is categorically exempt from CEQA as an “existing facility,” because it consists of the minor alteration of existing City streets and involves negligible or no expansion of an existing or former use. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15301.)
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
This staff report supports the Transportation initiative.
NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 – Proposed Ordinance
Att 2 – Proposed Ordinance: Delaware Street Segments
Att 3 – Summary of Recommend Speed Limits
STAFF CONTACT
Jay Yu, Engineering Manager
[email protected]
(650) 522-7323