News

Courtesy of City of Rancho Santa Margarita

Forty-five (45) of sixty-four (64) roadway segments in Rancho Santa Margarita will be updated with new, lower speed limits during the month of September. The changes will occur throughout the City on both arterial and collector streets. Current limits on affected streets will decrease by 5 mph, with the exception of one roadway segment decreasing by 10 mph.

The current posted limits are being lowered because of an updated Engineering and Traffic Survey (E&TS) measuring the speed of vehicles on our roadways and a change in legislation. No speed limits are increasing due to the study; the speed limit of the remaining nineteen (19) roadway segments will remain unchanged.

Since our last E&TS study in 2019, the State of California has revised how Cities can determine speed limits through Assembly Bill 43 (AB43). Previously, cities were constrained to revising the existing speed limits through a process known as the 85th percentile. A survey would measure the driver's speed, and speed limits were set to reflect what 85% of the drivers were driving at—regardless of the posted speed, which was considered the safest speed for the roadway.

With the adoption of AB43, Cities can now use criteria based on the specific conditions and characteristics of the studied roadway segment, such as roadway geometrics, adjacent land uses, and the presence of vulnerable pedestrian groups and bicyclists. 

Reducing motorist travel speeds will allow increased reaction time for both drivers and pedestrians in an effort to avoid collisions. Studies show that the faster the speed, the higher the risk of a severe crash that could lead to serious injuries or deaths.

As new signs are installed and motorists become accustomed to the lower limits, Rancho Santa Margarita Police Services will help educate drivers by issuing warning citations for drivers who exceed the new reduced speed limit by 10 mph or less during a 30-day grace period.

The reduced speed limits are an effort to reduce accidents and improve mobility for pedestrians, bicyclists, and children. Visit cityofrsm.org/publicworks to view a list of the affected streets.