UPDATED: WeHo gears up to reduce speed limits across the city

West Hollywood’s Long-Range Planning division presented an update on the Vision Zero initiative during this week’s Public Safety Commission meeting, focusing on proposed speed limit reductions across several key corridors.

Senior Planner David Fenn led the discussion, explaining how the new state legislation, AB 43, provides cities with greater flexibility to implement context-sensitive speed limits. The plan, which aims to improve safety by reducing speeds on roadways, builds on the city’s Vision Zero Action Plan adopted by City Council in December 2023.

Fenn opened the presentation by providing background on the Vision Zero program, which seeks to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries by addressing factors such as speed, roadway design, and enforcement. He highlighted the limitations of previous state laws, which required cities to adhere to rigid standards based on the 85th percentile rule. Under these older guidelines, speed limits were determined by measuring the speed at which 85% of vehicles travel on a given roadway, with cities allowed only limited reductions from that benchmark. Fenn explained that Assemblymember (and Congresswoman-elect) Laura Friedman’s AB 43 legislation, which went into effect in June 2024, introduced new tools that allow cities to lower speed limits in specific contexts, such as business districts, safety corridors, and senior zones. This flexibility is central to the proposed changes, which aim to address the unique safety challenges of West Hollywood’s streets.

The proposed speed limit adjustments target major roadways such as Santa Monica Boulevard, Fountain Avenue, Beverly Boulevard, and Robertson Boulevard. Fenn outlined specific recommendations, including reducing streets currently signed at 35 mph to 30 mph and lowering streets currently signed at 30 mph to 25 mph. Additionally, AB 43 permits local streets to default to 20 mph, though this applies primarily to narrow residential streets on the west side of the city. Fenn emphasized that these reductions are designed to improve safety while maintaining consistency with speed limits in neighboring cities, such as Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, to avoid confusion or the creation of speed traps at city borders.

Fenn presented data showing a strong correlation between speed and crash severity, citing statistics from the National Association of City Transportation Officials. According to the data, a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 35 mph is five times more likely to die than one struck at 20 mph. He added that even modest speed reductions can have a significant impact, with a 1 mph decrease resulting in a 17% reduction in fatalities. The presentation included maps from the Vision Zero Action Plan that identified the city’s High Injury Network, highlighting corridors with the highest concentrations of severe and fatal crashes. Unsurprisingly, these areas often coincide with streets that currently have higher speed limits, such as Fountain Avenue, Santa Monica Boulevard, and La Cienega Boulevard. Fen noted that lowering speed limits in these corridors would likely yield the greatest safety benefits.

Commissioners expressed overall support for the proposed changes but raised concerns about enforcement, traffic congestion, and the broader implications of the plan. They asked whether the city has considered how these reductions might interact with other traffic-calming measures, such as lane narrowing or speed bumps. Fenn responded that the city’s Engineering Division is exploring additional initiatives, including enhanced crosswalks, pedestrian-activated signals, and restrictions on right turns at red lights to reduce conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians. He also noted that the city is working with its state representatives to join a pilot program for automated speed cameras, which would provide an additional enforcement mechanism.

The commission highlighted the unique challenges of Fountain Avenue, describing it as both a residential corridor and a high-speed thoroughfare. They raised concerns about the frequency of accidents and the potential need for more aggressive measures to address speeding on the street. Fenn acknowledged these concerns and noted that Fountain Avenue has already seen some reductions in its speed limit west of Fairfax Avenue, where it was lowered from 35 mph to 30 mph. The current proposal seeks to extend this reduction eastward to La Brea Avenue, creating consistency across the corridor. 

Public speakers echoed many of the commissioners’ concerns while strongly supporting the proposed speed limit reductions. Kelly Polarski, a resident of West Hollywood’s east side, praised the Vision Zero initiative as a life-saving effort that prioritizes safety, equity, and sustainability. She emphasized the dangers posed by high-speed drivers and shared her own experiences as a cyclist and pedestrian navigating the city’s streets. Another speaker, Jordan Beard, called for a holistic approach to street safety, combining speed limit reductions with physical infrastructure changes such as raised crosswalks, lane reductions, and bollards. Beard also expressed support for the city’s efforts to join the automated speed camera pilot program, noting the success of similar programs in cities like Los Angeles and New York.

Fenn addressed several technical questions from commissioners regarding the classification of streets and the process for implementing speed limit changes. He explained that under state law, streets must be designated as business activity districts, safety corridors, or senior zones to qualify for certain reductions. These designations are based on factors such as crash data, land use, and pedestrian activity. Fenn noted that while Santa Monica Boulevard qualifies as a business corridor in a general sense, the proposed reductions are designed to maintain balance and avoid overly aggressive changes that could disrupt traffic flow. For instance, Santa Monica Boulevard’s speed limit would remain at 30 mph east of La Cienega Boulevard, with the western portion reduced from 35 mph to 30 mph to create consistency.

Implementation of the proposed changes would involve updating roadway signage and launching a public education campaign to ensure residents and drivers are aware of the new limits. Fenn estimated that the costs associated with these updates are modest compared to other safety initiatives, with most expenses related to labor and signage replacement. He also noted that the city would coordinate with the Sheriff’s Department and neighboring jurisdictions, such as Beverly Hills, to ensure seamless implementation. A grace period would allow drivers to adjust to the new limits before citations are issued.

The final proposal will be presented to City Council on January 21.