Not so fast on lower speed limits in San Diego
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Funding is needed for this to change. Photo: Claire Trageser/Axios
It may take at least a year for San Diego to lower speed limits on some streets following a City Council vote to improve traffic safety.
Why it matters: The council vote came after multiple children were killed by drivers, but the plan still needs millions in funding.
Driving the news: Those funds would come in July at the earliest in the mayor's next fiscal budget, and they may not make it into the budget at all.
- "It is premature to comment on specific funding requests," mayoral spokesperson Dave Rolland told Axios.
Catch up quick: On March 16, the council approved a plan to lower speed limits on 20% of roads, or about 680 miles.
- That came after new state laws allowed cities to cut speeds in business districts and school zones.
- Business districts can go down to 25 mph or 20 mph.
- School zones can go down to 15 mph, 20 mph within 500 feet, and 25 mph within 1,000 feet.
Yes, but: The new speed limit signs and the crews to install them will cost $2.4 million, according to a city staff report.
- The Transportation Department has asked for the money in the next budget.
- If that happens, the plan could be done in a year, the report said.
What they're saying: "The fact that the city is moving on this pretty quickly and the mayor has made this a priority for his department is a really good sign," Aria Grossman, a policy manager with advocacy group Circulate San Diego, told Axios.
The other side: Some speakers at the March 16 meeting disapproved of the changes, saying they could lead to more speeding tickets.
Context: Traffic safety gained new attention after 11-year-old Andrew Olsen was killed and two other children were injured at a San Carlos intersection in October.
- The crash came after at least one resident spent more than a year fruitlessly begging the city to address the dangerous intersection.
- After Olsen died, the city added stop signs because of a special request from Councilmember Raul Campillo.
A year before the crash, the city had looked at 10 years of crash history and found 488 intersections "which may have an elevated risk of fatal crashes," per a city memo.
- Some were recommended for stop signs, crosswalks or lower speed limits.
- But there often isn't funding to get it done, city spokesperson Anthony Santacroce told Axios earlier this year.
What we're watching: The mayor will publish his draft budget on April 15.