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So far. In a few weeks, the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) will release a draft of its recommendations. The report, based on what was learned and discussed in the course of the workshops--including university research on speed limits, speed as a factor in crashes, and related topics--is due to the legislature by January 1.
Still from a SafeTREC video about setting speed limitsStill from a SafeTREC video about setting speed limits
Walk SF did not have a representative on the 25-member task force, but participated in a larger "advisory group." Advocates there are worried that the report's conclusions might not be strong enough, and they're asking for help from the public.
Still from a SafeTREC video about setting speed limits. The 85th Percentile rule requires setting speeds according to the top speed driving by the 85th percentile of all drivers--in the case shown here, 35 mph -- rather than local conditions or safety considerations.Still from a SafeTREC video about setting speed limits
The notion of changing the rule has run up against strong opposition, notably from law enforcement and AAA, and their representatives and apologists are very likely to argue for the status quo - even in the comments below. At various times opponents have argued: that enforcement has no effect on speeds; that allowing locals to set speed limits will lead to speed traps; even that speed is not a "primary factor" in many crashes. What's clear is that some opponents are just not willing to discuss possible solutions.
So the task force's aim has been to air concerns and find a way forward, even with the potential for its discussions to be sidelined by knee-jerk opposition. That's what WalkSF and its allies fear: that safety concerns, and research results, will be drowned out.
CalSTA has set up a website, here, with background information and highlights from some of the research presented at the workshops. Within those presentations, there is one hint at the upcoming report's contents. Advisory group members who answered a survey said that a top priority for the state should be a "revision to speed-limit-setting process/local authority for context-sensitive speed control."
Streetsblog California editor Melanie Curry has been thinking about transportation, and how to improve conditions for bicyclists, since her early days commuting by bike to UCLA long ago. She was Managing Editor at the East Bay Express, and edited Access Magazine for the University of California Transportation Center. She also earned her Masters in City Planning from UC Berkeley.
Do Americans hit lethal speeds because they're in a rush, or because they have no idea that they're increasing their chances of death with every tick of the odometer?