San Francisco starts lowering speed limits around schools
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San Francisco will be rolling out lower speed limits around schools citywide ahead of the new school year, becoming one of the first California cities to take advantage of a new state law aimed at improving pedestrian safety.
Why it matters: Speed is one of the biggest factors in determining whether a traffic crash becomes fatal, especially for children walking or biking to school.
- City leaders say lower speed limits are a proven way to reduce severe injuries and deaths.
Driving the news: The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency last week announced a citywide initiative that will lower speed limits within 500 feet of every private and public school. It's expected to become a statewide standard by 2031.
- Streets with one lane in each direction will be posted at 15 mph.
- Wider, multilane streets will be posted at 20 mph.
- The first new signs will be installed near six schools at the end of summer break, with the rest of the rollout happening over the next two years.
- The schools are Dr. William L. Cobb Elementary School, Leonard R. Flynn Elementary School, St. Anthony-Immaculate Conception School, Jefferson Elementary School, Roosevelt Middle School and Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, per SFMTA.
The big picture: The effort is enabled by a California law signed last year that gives cities more flexibility to lower school-zone speed limits from the longstanding 25 mph standard.
- Similar programs are launching across California, including San Diego.
Zoom in: The speed limit changes are one piece of a broader school safety push.
- SFMTA is also adding protected bike lanes, upgraded crosswalks and other traffic-calming improvements near schools, including around the new Mission Bay Elementary School.
- Officials also say the city's automated speed cameras — a program they plan to expand — have already reduced dangerous speeding as much as 90% in monitored locations.
What's next: Crews will begin installing new speed limit signs before the new semester begins next month, with the remaining school zones phased in citywide through 2028.
- Drivers in vehicles including autonomous ones must comply with the new posted limits once signs are in place.