Skip to Content
Streetsblog California home
Streetsblog California home
Log In
Speeding

L.A. Mayor Approves 177 Miles of Speed Limit Reductions

Earlier today, Mayor Eric Garcetti signed a new ordinance [council file 21-1223] that reduces speed limits on 177 miles of L.A. City streets. In his signing ceremony (broadcast via Twitter) Garcetti acknowledged that "far too many Angelenos die in traffic collisions... [which] kill disproportionately in low income, Black, and Latinx communities."

Garcetti acknowledged that this round of speed limit reductions were the result of the hard work of livability advocates, the city's Transportation Department (LADOT), City Councilmembers Mike Bonin and Paul Koretz, as well as State Assemblymember Laura Friedman. Friedman took on naysayers in a multi-year effort to reform California's absurd archaic speed limit laws, which mandate a pseudo-scientific 85th Percentile criteria that forces cities to incrementally creep speed limits ever upward. Friedman's A.B. 43 carved out several important exceptions to that rule, making it legal for cities to now consider safety concerns when setting speed limits - as well as allowing municipalities to roll back some recent speed limit increases.

Soon after the passage of A.B. 43, LADOT reviewed recent speed limit increases, and found 177 miles of city streets where reductions were warranted and allowed under the new law. Those decreases were approved by the City Council Transportation Committee and by the full City Council in February.

Garcetti's signature today makes the speed limit reductions city law, though they go into effect after at least thirty days - and after the city has replaced current signage. LADOT General Manager Seleta Reynolds today announced that the limits will be in effect "by June of this year." Today, as well as at the Transportation Committee meeting last month, Reynolds made it clear that while the current round of speed limit reductions is significant and unprecedented, additional California speed limit reform is still needed. "We will keep going... [we will] stay in this fight 'til it's done," she promised.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog California

Wednesday’s Headlines

Did someone say "bike superhighway?"

July 16, 2025

LA County Accidentally Removed Criminal Reform Ballot Measure from County Code. Now They’re Trying to Fix It.

Voters passed Measure J in 2020 to dedicate money to education, job training, and other non-carceral ways to fight crime.

July 16, 2025

City Breaks Ground on Mid-City Greenways Bike/Walk Improvements

The 4+mile Mid-City Greenways project is focused on three streets: Rosewood Avenue, Formosa Avenue, and Orange Drive.

July 15, 2025

StreetSmart Special Edition – LA Evictions at Caltrans Owned Properties for Formerly Homeless “Reclaimers”

Benito Flores, one of the Reclaimers, is resisting eviction to draw attention to inequities with how housing laws are being applied to people experiencing homelessness

July 15, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines

I bet we can come up with some reasons Sacramento isn't getting higher scores on its bike ratings.

July 15, 2025

Commentary: The French City of Lyon Shows How to Connect Oakland and Western Alameda

An amazing 24/7 bike-ped-transit connection can be made for pennies on the dollar—if the Bay Area can get past its car-brain affliction.

July 15, 2025
See all posts