1 ORDINANCE NO. 2069
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL REGARDING SPEED LIMIT CHANGES ON 18 SAN RAFAEL ROADWAY SEGMENTS OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 22357 AND 22358 OF THE
CALIFORNIA VEHICLE CODE
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
DIVISION 1. FINDINGS.
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 22357 of the California Vehicle Code, the City of San Rafael may determine that a speed limit greater than 25 miles per hour (mph) on certain streets would facilitate the orderly movement of vehicular traffic and would be reasonable and safe; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 22358 of the California Vehicle Code, the City of San Rafael may determine that a speed limit of 15 or 20 miles per hour (mph) on certain streets would facilitate the orderly movement of vehicular traffic and would be reasonable and safe; and WHEREAS, the existing speed limits on the roadway segments are listed below in Table 1 under Current Speed Limits; and
WHEREAS, engineering and traffic studies (E&TS) have been prepared for these roadway segments consistent with Section 627 of the California Vehicle Code and identify recommended maximum speed limits, and based thereon, the City’s Traffic Engineer has determined and recommended that the maximum speed limit on these streets should be changed to the following Proposed Speed Limits listed in Table 1 to facilitate the orderly movement of vehicular traffic, and would be reasonable and safe;
Table 1. Recommended Speed Limit Reductions
Roadway Segment
Current
Speed
Limit
Proposed
Speed
Limit
1 Andersen Drive (Lindaro Street to Francisco Boulevard West)
35 30
2 Andersen Drive (Bellam Boulevard to Sanitary Treatment Plan)
35 30
3 B Street (Woodland Avenue to Second Street) 25 20
4 Canal Street/Spinnaker Point Drive (Harbor Street to Bedford Cove)
25 20
5 Fifth Avenue (Western Extent to H Street) 25 20
6 Fourth Street (Western City Limit to Second Street) 35 30 7 Fourth Street (Hetherton Court to Union Street) 25 20 2 8 Grand Avenue (Mission Avenue to Francisco Boulevard East)
25 20
9 Greenfield Avenue/West End Avenue (Western City Limit to Marquard Avenue)
25 20
10 Kerner Boulevard (Canal Street to Bellam Boulevard) 25 20 11 Lincoln Avenue (Red Rock Way to Linden Lane) 30 25
12 Lindaro Street (Third Street to Woodland Avenue) 25 20 13 Los Gamos Drive (Lucas Valley Road to Southern Terminus) 30 25 14 Mission Avenue (Hetherton Street to Embarcadero Way) 25 20 15 Point San Pedro Road (Marina Boulevard to Porto Bello Drive)
40 35
16 Third Street (Grand Avenue to Eastern City Limit) 35 30 17 Woodland Avenue (B Street to Du Bois Street) 25 20
18 Woodland Avenue (Du Bois Street to Auburn Street) 30 25
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
DIVISION 2. SPEED LIMIT ESTABLISHED.
The speed limit on the roadway segments is hereby decreased to the proposed speed limits listed in the proposed speed limit column in Table 1 above and shall be effective when appropriate signs giving notice thereof are erected upon the street.
DIVISION 3. CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA).
The City Council finds that adoption of this Ordinance is not a "Project" under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378(a), in that this action does not have a potential for a direct physical change or reasonably indirect physical change in the environment.
In the event the action is considered a “Project” under CEQA, the action is exempt from CEQA under section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the adoption of this Ordinance or its implementation would have a significant effect on the environment (14 Cal. Code Regs. Section 15061(b)(3)).
DIVISION 4. SEVERABILITY.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The Council hereby declares that it would have adopted the Ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses or phrases be declared invalid.
DIVISION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE; PUBLICATION.
3 A summary of this Ordinance shall be published, and a certified copy of the full text of this Ordinance shall be posted in the office of the City Clerk at least five (5) days prior to the Council meeting at which it is adopted.
This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect thirty (30) days after its final passage, and the summary of this Ordinance shall be published within fifteen (15) days after the adoption, together with the names of those Councilmembers voting for or against same, in the Marin Independent Journal, a newspaper of general circulation published and circulated in the City of San Rafael, Marin County, State of California.
Within fifteen (15) days after adoption, the City Clerk shall also post in the office of the City Clerk a certified copy of the full text of this Ordinance, along with the names of those Councilmembers voting for or against the Ordinance.
THE FOREGOING ORDINANCE was first read and introduced at a regular meeting of the San Rafael City Council on the 20th day of July 2026 and was passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the San Rafael City Council on the 17th day of August 2026 by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS:
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS:
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS:
______________________
KATE COLIN, Mayor
ATTEST:
______________________
LINDSAY LARA, City Clerk
SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE NO. 2069
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL REGARDING SPEED LIMIT CHANGES ON 18 SAN RAFAEL ROADWAY
SEGMENTS OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 22357 AND 22358 OF THE CALIFORNIA VEHICLE CODE.
This Summary concerns a proposed Ordinance of the City Council of the City of San Rafael, designated as Ordinance No. 2069 which will amend speed limits on eighteen roadway segments in San Rafael. Ordinance No. 2069 is scheduled for adoption by the San Rafael City Council at its regular meeting of August 17, 2026. The City Clerk has been directed to publish this Summary pursuant to City Charter and California Government Code section 36933(c)(1).
SUMMARY OF AMENDMENT TO MUNICIPAL CODE
This Ordinance would amend the San Rafael Municipal Code by updating the speed limits on eighteen roadway segments outside of downtown in San Rafael. Pursuant to Section 22357 of the California Vehicle Code, the City of San Rafael may determine that a speed limit greater than 25 miles per hour (mph) on certain streets would facilitate the orderly movement of vehicular traffic and would be reasonable and safe. The Ordinance will update the speed limit from 40 miles per hour (mph) to 35 mph on one road segment. The Ordinance will update the speed limit from 35 mph to 30 mph on four road segments. The Ordinance will update the speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph on three road segments.
Pursuant to Section 22358 of the California Vehicle Code, the City of San Rafael may determine that a speed limit of 15 or 20 mph on certain streets would facilitate the orderly movement of vehicular traffic and would be reasonable and safe. The Ordinance will update the speed limit from 25 mph to 20 mph on ten road segments. Engineering and traffic studies (E&TS) have been prepared for these roadway segments and the City’s Traffic Engineer has determined and recommended that the maximum speed limit on these streets should be changed to the following Proposed Speed Limits listed in Table 1 to facilitate the orderly movement of vehicular traffic, and would be reasonable and safe.
Table 1. Recommended Speed Limit Reductions
Roadway Segment
Current
Speed
Limit
Proposed
Speed
Limit
1 Andersen Drive (Lindaro Street to Francisco
Boulevard West)
35 30
2 Andersen Drive (Bellam Boulevard to Sanitary
Treatment Plan)
35 30
3 B Street (Woodland Avenue to Second Street) 25 20
4 Canal Street/Spinnaker Point Drive (Harbor Street to
Bedford Cove)
25 20
5 Fifth Avenue (Western Extent to H Street) 25 20
6 Fourth Street (Western City Limit to Second Street) 35 30 7 Fourth Street (Hetherton Court to Union Street) 25 20 8 Grand Avenue (Mission Avenue to Francisco
Boulevard East)
25 20
9 Greenfield Avenue/West End Avenue (Western City
Limit to Marquard Avenue)
25 20
10 Kerner Boulevard (Canal Street to Bellam Boulevard) 25 20 11 Lincoln Avenue (Red Rock Way to Linden Lane) 30 25
12 Lindaro Street (Third Street to Woodland Avenue) 25 20 13 Los Gamos Drive (Lucas Valley Road to Southern
Terminus)
30 25
14 Mission Avenue (Hetherton Street to Embarcadero
Way)
25 20
15 Point San Pedro Road (Marina Boulevard to Porto
Bello Drive)
40 35
16 Third Street (Grand Avenue to Eastern City Limit) 35 30 17 Woodland Avenue (B Street to Du Bois Street) 25 20
18 Woodland Avenue (Du Bois Street to Auburn Street) 30 25 The City Council finds that adoption of this Ordinance is not a "Project" under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378(a), in that this action does not have a potential for a direct physical change or reasonably indirect physical change in the environment. In the event the action is considered a “Project” under CEQA, the action is exempt from CEQA under section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the adoption of this Ordinance or its implementation would have a significant effect on the environment (14 Cal. Code Regs.
Section 15061(b)(3)).
Copies of Ordinance No. 2069 are available for public review on the City’s website:
https://www.cityofsanrafael.org. For a complete copy of the text of the Ordinance amending the Municipal Code, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at [email protected] or by phone at (415) 485-3066. Copies of the Ordinance containing this Municipal Code amendment are also available for public review at the San Rafael City Clerk’s office, 1400 Fifth Avenue, 2nd Floor, Room 209, Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and on Fridays by appointment only. /s/______________________
LINDSAY LARA, City Clerk
San Rafael City Clerk
Dated: 08/07/2026