Title
Amend City Code - Changes to Phoenix Speed Limits - Amending Section 36-158, Schedule 1, Local Speed Limits (Ordinance G-6589)
Description
Request to amend City Code section 36-158, Speed Limit Ordinance, Schedule I, Local Speed Limits (Attachment A) due to changing land uses and traffic conditions.
Report
Summary
Speed limits are established under Arizona Revised Statutes, section 28-703, which requires an "engineering study and traffic investigation." The Phoenix City Code and Charter require that all speed limits be approved by City Council in the form of an amendment to the Speed Limit Ordinance. The requested amendment to the Speed Limit Ordinance is included as Attachment A.
The Street Transportation Department (Streets) is modifying its current speed limit changes process to ensure it includes additional engagement with City Council prior to implementation. The current process includes an evaluation of potential speed limit changes by Streets staff, implementation of any recommended speed limit changes, followed by City Council adoption of the changes to the Speed Limit Ordinance after speed limit changes were already implemented. The new process will also include evaluation of potential speed limit changes by Streets staff, but City Council adoption of recommended speed limit changes will occur before those changes are implemented on City streets. Additionally, the new process will occur twice per year rather than annually.
City Council most recently adopted Speed Limit Ordinance changes in September 2018. However, as Streets staff works to implement the new speed limit changes process, Streets staff noted that four locations (Attachment B) had speed limit changes already implemented, but were not included in the Speed Limit Ordinance changes adopted in September 2018. As with all recommended speed limit changes, these four speed limit changes were based on an engineering study and traffic investigation conducted by Streets staff, or are newly constructed streets. The approval of the speed limit changes in these four locations is requested to ensure the Speed Limit Ordinance is in line with the currently posted speed limit.
Additionally, with the new speed limit changes process, Streets is recommending speed limit changes at two locations (Attachment C), where the speed limit changes will not be implemented until City Council adopts an amendment to the Speed Limit Ordinance. The recommended changes are based on engineering studies and traffic investigations.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
This item was recommended for approval at the Aviation and Transportation Subcommittee meeting on March 26, 2019, by a vote of 3-0.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Mario Paniagua and the Street Transportation Department.