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
| Corridor | From | To | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset Boulevard | Western City Limit | Eastern City Limit | Speed limits are already posted at 30 mph in Los Angeles just east of the Eastern City Limit. |
| Santa Monica Boulevard | Western City Limit | Holloway Drive | Speed limits are already set at 30 mph east of approximately Holloway Drive to the Eastern City Limit. |
| Melrose Avenue | Western City Limit | Eastern City Limit | The Roadway was recently reconfigured with additional pedestrian safety measures and a narrower cross section from San Vicente Blvd. to the eastern City limit as part of the Design District Streetscape Project. |
| Beverly Boulevard | Western City Limit | Eastern City Limit | Speed limits are already posted at 30 mph in Beverly Hills just west of the Western City Limit. Pedestrian safety upgrades including traffic calming elements like curb extensions planned as part of the Design District Streetscape Project. |
| Fountain Avenue | Fairfax Avenue | Eastern City Limit | Speed limits were recently lowered to 30 mph on Fountain Ave. west of Fairfax Ave. in West Hollywood and are posted at 30 mph in Los Angeles east of La Brea Ave. Street reconfiguration and bicycle and pedestrian safety upgrades including traffic calming elements like curb extensions and other safety features like protected bike lanes are planned for the corridor. |
| La Cienega Boulevard | South of Melrose Place | Rosewood Avenue | Speed limits are currently set at 30 mph in West Hollywood North of Santa Monica Blvd. and in Los Angeles between approximately Romaine St. and south of Melrose Pl. |
| San Vicente Boulevard | Sunset Boulevard | Southern City Limit | Adjacent land uses that generate pedestrian activity such as parks, schools, and religious facilities meet state requirements for speed limit reductions. |
| La Brea Avenue | Northern City Limit | Southern City Limit | Speed limits are already posted at 30 mph both north and south of West Hollywood in Los Angeles. |
| Crescent Heights Boulevard | Northern City Limit | Southern City Limit | The presence of uncontrolled crosswalks and on-street parking, as well as adjacent land uses that generate pedestrian activity such as parks, schools, religious facilities, and parks meet state requirements for speed limit reductions. |
| Doheny Drive | Sunset Boulevard | Southern City Limit | Coordination required with the City of Beverly Hills which controls the western or southbound side of the street. |
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
| Corridor | From | To | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robertson Boulevard | Keith Avenue | Southern City Limit | Pedestrian safety upgrades including traffic calming elements like curb extensions are planned as part of the Design District Streetscape Project. These streets are similar in character as entirely commercial corridors with high levels of pedestrian activity. |
| Almont Drive | Santa Monica Boulevard | Melrose Avenue | N/A |
| La Peer Drive | Santa Monica Boulevard | Melrose Avenue | N/A |
| Holloway Drive | Sunset Boulevard | Santa Monica Boulevard | Adjacent land uses that generate pedestrian activity such as parks, schools, religious facilities, and commercial uses and closing a gap between two designated safety corridors from the WeHo Target Vision Zero Action Plan (Santa Monica Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard) meet state requirements for speed limit reductions. |
| Vista/Gardner Street | Santa Monica Boulevard | Romaine Street | An approximately 675’ segment of Vista/Gardner Street (the roadway changes name at Santa Monica Boulevard) has a 30 mph posted speed limit for one block south of Santa Monica Boulevard while remaining posted at 25 mph north and south of that. As part of these broader proposed speed limit reductions, staff recommend lowering the speed limit on this short segment of Vista/Gardner Street to enable a consistent speed limit across the entire corridor. |
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.
This is good news. There is no reason why ANY street in West Hollywood should have a speed limit higher than 30. It’s too dense and residential here. I still can’t believe Crescent Heights is 35. Madness, I tell ya – madness!
Also ! West Hollywood sheriff’s should give out tickets to cars that backfire loud in the city !
Reducing speed limits for consistency, especially on smaller streets, makes sense as the speed limit signs are often obstructed. I have always been shocked that municipalities do not maintain an easily digestible electronic version of their speed limits, parking restrictions, etc. that can be accessed by vehicle telemetry systems in order to provide reliable and safe data. I also favor conditional speed limits. Imagine if speed limits were on e-ink displays (which only consume power when changing the displayed image) with a retroreflective background. Think of one large super low resolution kindle style display per number which displays text on… Read more »
Has anyone on here been on Hollywood Blvd. lately? I went through there last month for a film retrospective and found much of the street has been reduced to one lane each way.I normally take the MTA rail line,but had to drive that time around and discovered the changes. Apparently,road barriers were installed for limited parking and bike lanes.I didn’t know this project was going on.I did a quick search and came upon the web site for LA council member Hugo Soto-Martinez of District 13 describing plans for the overhaul of the street.It is going to be a big deal.… Read more »
..,.and speaking on the Fountain debacle, not streetscape but mistake, I’m still waiting for 2 council candidates who say they will stop this madness from happening and they will have my votes….and I suspect that of many others too.
Two spoke out at the last Council meeting opposing the Fountain debacle: George Nickle & Zekiah Wright. Like you, I want to hear from the others.
Danny Hang told Streets For All he loves the proposed Fountain project.
Surely Larry Block is opposed to the Fountain project, but come to think of it, I haven’t heard him say anything about it.
I am opposed the removal of parking on fountain, it’s on my website, http://www.larryblock4weho.com, and in on my ballot statement. I’m really trying to think of a way to thread the needle to make it work, first and foremost an emergency lane, and for all. But, perhap it would help to share some of the ideas ive been exploring..that have yet to flush out. The design phase is ahead. Im not giving up on a method to ‘have it all’
After my careless comment was posted I did what I should have done first and I went to your site and found the answer. Of course, you would be opposed to the Fountain project! Thanks for your gracious response, and silly me for not knowing better!
Have these changes been reviewed by the Transportation Commission for conformance with the Mobility Element of the City’s General Plan?
It would be great if you could drive that fast on some of these streets during peak hours. I don’t think anyone questions the need to slow down and quit trying to run yellow lights, get off your cell phone, etc. But as long as we don’t have sufficient law enforcement resources to enforce speed limits, reckless driving and distracted driving, the carnage will continue.
Enforcement of existing law is inequitable, and law enforcement is racist. Therefore we can’t have it.
rubbish
I think he was being ironic and mimicking some of our City Council members.
And with pedestrians crossing at the crosswalk
How about left turn arrows in this city? When I first moved here years ago I was astounded at the lack of left turn arrows. Where I’m from, Atlanta, every road has a left turn arrow.
Speed limits only work when law enforcement is given the resources and authority to actually enforce those laws. Traffic law enforcement has become virtually non-existent throughout the entire region and road anarchy has ensued.
They have the authority already. They just don’t do it. The city’s contract with the sheriff doesn’t permit them to direct what the sheriffs actually do. So if we want more traffic cops, all we can do is ask them for more traffic cops, which they have done, but it’s up to the sheriff as to whether they actually do it. Mind you we currently have more sheriffs than ever before. They have the resources to do it. They just don’t.