To: Board of Supervisors
From: Warren Lai, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Report Title: Establish school zone speed limit on Pacifica Avenue (Road No. 5094B), Bay Point area.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ADOPT Traffic Resolution No. 2025/4547 to establish a school zone speed limit of 20 miles-per-hour (mph) for a portion of Pacifica Avenue (Road No. 5094B), beginning at Driftwood Drive (Road No. 5094A) and extending easterly to Bay Drive (Road No. 5185N) as recommended by the Public Works Director, Bay Point area. (District V)
FISCAL IMPACT:
No fiscal impact.
BACKGROUND:
An Engineering and Traffic Survey (E&TS) was recently completed on Pacifica Avenue in Bay Point within a school zone, which features two schools (Rio Vista Elementary and Riverview Middle School) to establish a school zone speed limit.
On January 1, 2008, California Assembly Bill (AB) 321 went into effect allowing local jurisdictions through an ordinance or resolution to extend the 25-mph prima facie speed limit in school zones from 500 feet to 1,000 feet from the school grounds and to reduce the speed limit to 15 or 20-mph up to 500 feet from the school grounds, under certain conditions.
California Vehicle Code (CVC) Section 22358.4 states the Board of Supervisors, through adopted resolution, may reduce the speed limit on roads within 500 feet of a school to 15 or 20-mph based on an E&TS. CVC Section 627 provisions justifying the reduced speed limit must be documented in an engineering study with the following: crash records, highway conditions not readily apparent to the driver, residential density, and safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. When established, the 20-mph school zone speed limit is in effect when children are present, which is generally during the periods when children are arriving to or departing from school.
Additionally, Assembly Bill 43 was signed into law on October 8, 2021, authorizing local authorities to consider the safety of vulnerable pedestrian groups such as children. Section 22358.7 of the CVC was added to allow a reduction of five miles per hour to the current prima facie school zone speed limit (25-mph) if supported by a valid E&TS conducted during school hours.
An E&TS was subsequently conducted according to established traffic engineering standards. The factual findings of the survey determined this section of roadway had multiple unusual conditions; there are a high number of pedestrians, students traveling within the roadway during school hours. There are six crosswalks on Pacifica Avenue within the school zone, three are unmonitored/uncontrolled and used by elementary/middle school aged children. The critical speed (85th percentile) was 24-mph. Based on the results of the E&TS and supporting factors, the Traffic Engineer recommends the establishment of a school zone speed limit of 20-mph for a portion of Pacifica Avenue, near Rio Vista Elementary and Riverview Middle School. This action will allow law enforcement authorities the ability to enforce the 20-mph school zone speed limit when children are present on Pacifica Avenue.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The existing 25-mph prima facie school zone speed limit will remain.
CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:
A 20-mph school zone speed limit (when children are present) will alert motorists to lower speeds.