Driving in WeHo will soon get even slower

As West Hollywood drivers brace themselves for more congestion produced by the upcoming Fountain Avenue bike lanes, they might also have to contend with lower speed limits hampering their commutes across town.

City staff, alongside the DKS Associates consultant team, have proposed an initial set of speed limit reductions that align with the city’s Vision Zero Action Plan.  The goal is to reduce the frequency and severity of traffic crashes, particularly on corridors where such incidents are more common. 

The proposed reductions generally consist of lowering speed limits by 5 mph in most cases. Streets currently posted at 35 mph, which are the highest speed limits in West Hollywood, are proposed to be reduced to 30 mph. Several corridors with existing 30 mph speed limits would be lowered to 25 mph. Additionally, local streets that are narrower than 25 feet wide are proposed to have their speed limits reduced from 25 mph to 20 mph, particularly in areas north of Santa Monica Boulevard and west of La Cienega Boulevard. These narrow streets pose greater risks for pedestrians and cyclists, and lower speed limits are expected to reduce accidents and improve the overall safety of these areas.

35mph to 30mph

Key streets targeted for speed limit reductions include major corridors such as Sunset Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard, Melrose Avenue, Beverly Boulevard, and Fountain Avenue. On Sunset Boulevard, the proposed reduction would lower the speed limit from the western to the eastern city limits to 30 mph, aligning with existing speed limits in neighboring Los Angeles. Similar reductions are planned for Santa Monica Boulevard, where speed limits will drop to 30 mph from the western city limit to Holloway Drive. In Los Angeles, speed limits east of Holloway Drive are already set at 30 mph, and this reduction would create consistency across the corridor.

Melrose Avenue, another important commercial and pedestrian-heavy street, is also proposed to see a reduction from 35 mph to 30 mph. This comes after recent reconfigurations, including pedestrian safety enhancements and narrowing of the road, as part of the Design District Streetscape Project. Beverly Boulevard and Fountain Avenue are similarly proposed for reductions, with Beverly Boulevard benefiting from pedestrian safety upgrades and traffic calming measures, and Fountain Avenue seeing speed limit reductions that would complement planned safety improvements such as curb extensions and protected bike lanes.

30mph to 25mph

 Several other key corridors are included in the proposed reductions. For instance, La Cienega Boulevard, from just south of Melrose Place to Rosewood Avenue, would see its speed limit lowered from 35 mph to 30 mph, creating uniformity with adjacent segments of La Cienega in Los Angeles. San Vicente Boulevard, La Brea Avenue, Crescent Heights Boulevard, and Doheny Drive are also targeted for speed reductions due to their high pedestrian activity, proximity to schools and parks, and current mismatched speed limits with neighboring jurisdictions.

In addition to the 35 mph to 30 mph reductions, several corridors currently posted at 30 mph are proposed to be lowered to 25 mph.

Robertson Boulevard, for instance, from Keith Avenue to the southern city limit, is part of the Design District Streetscape Project, which includes pedestrian safety improvements like curb extensions. Reducing speed limits here would further enhance the safety of this heavily trafficked area. Almont Drive and La Peer Drive, both commercial corridors with high pedestrian activity, would also see speed limit reductions, as would Holloway Drive, which connects Sunset Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard, two of the city’s busiest streets.

A unique case in this proposal is Vista/Gardner Street, a short corridor with an inconsistent speed limit. A segment of this street has a posted speed limit of 30 mph for one block south of Santa Monica Boulevard, while the rest of the street is posted at 25 mph. The proposal recommends lowering this segment to 25 mph to ensure a consistent speed limit throughout the corridor.

While this first phase focuses on these major corridors and high-risk streets, additional reductions could be possible in the future, pending further studies. Engineering analysis may identify other streets where lower speed limits could improve safety, especially where pedestrian traffic is high or where specific conditions make speeding particularly hazardous. However, the current proposal is designed to have the most immediate and defensible impact, addressing the most dangerous corridors first and implementing changes that can be rolled out quickly under the provisions of AB 43.

Overall, the proposed speed limit reductions represent a significant step toward the city’s Vision Zero goals. By focusing on high-speed corridors with frequent crashes, the city aims to reduce traffic-related injuries and deaths. The modest 5 mph reductions across these corridors may seem small, but they are expected to make a meaningful difference in safety, especially when combined with other planned pedestrian and cyclist improvements such as curb extensions, protected bike lanes, and other traffic calming measures.

The supposed benefits of these speed limit reductions are highlighted by research that links lower speeds with fewer and less severe crashes. In West Hollywood, speeding was involved in 11.7% of fatal and severe crashes from 2018 to 2022, and many of these incidents occurred on higher-speed corridors like Santa Monica Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, and Melrose Avenue. Research shows that even small reductions in speed—such as the proposed 5 mph decrease—can significantly reduce the likelihood of crashes and fatalities. For example, a person struck by a car at 35 mph is five times more likely to die than someone hit at 20 mph. Further studies demonstrate that a 1 mph reduction in average speed can decrease fatal crashes by 17%.

The city claims the proposed speed limit reductions will result in slightly longer travel times when traffic is free-flowing, but the impact will be modest since the reductions are only 5 mph. At peak commuting times, when congestion is heavy, the effect on travel times will be minimal because drivers already cannot reach the posted speed limits. Implementing the new speed limits will require the city to purchase and install new signage and launch education and enforcement efforts to inform the public about the changes.

The proposed reductions will be refined based on public and Commission feedback and then presented to City Council for approval. If approved, city staff will coordinate with Los Angeles and Beverly Hills on shared corridors to ensure consistency in speed limits. A public education campaign and coordination with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for enforcement will also follow if the new limits are adopted.