Council adopts Vision Zero speed‑management plan to lower limits citywide, prioritizing school zones

The City Council on March 16 unanimously approved a citywide Speed Management Plan intended to advance the city’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating severe injuries and fatalities. Transportation staff proposed targeted speed limit reductions under AB 43 for safety corridors, pedestrian and bicycle generators, business activity districts and school zones; the plan would reduce speeds by 5 mph on many corridors and set school‑zone limits to 15 mph when children are present within 500 feet.

Alex Hibaldo and other Transportation Department staff described the data‑driven approach: a systemic safety analysis of 10 years of injury‑crash data that identified corridors and intersections for prioritized reductions, paired with quick‑build engineering such as refuge islands, roundabouts and other traffic‑calming measures. “The city is proposing speed limit reductions on roughly 20% of the roadway network — nearly 688 miles total,” staff said, and stressed the importance of pairing signage with infrastructure.

Staff requested $2.4 million in FY27 to fabricate and install about 3,000 signs and to pay overtime needed to deliver the program in a single fiscal year; without the funds, staff warned capacity conflicts could delay routine services. Multiple public commenters and safety advocates (Circulate San Diego, Bike SD, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition) urged council to approve the plan and to prioritize school zones and quick‑build infrastructure.

Council members repeatedly emphasized that signs alone are insufficient and pressed for physical countermeasures and enforcement. Staff confirmed that new posted limits become enforceable when signage is installed and that school zones will be prioritized for the initial roll‑out. The police representative present said enforcement will be prioritized based on crash data and community requests, but noted limited enforcement resources in certain divisions.

The motion to adopt the staff recommendation passed unanimously (8–0, Council member Moreno absent). Implementation is contingent on budget approval; staff said they will prioritize school zones first and pair speed reductions with quick‑build safety projects where the evidence indicates the greatest benefit.