The city of Beverly Hills has begun implementing a new ordinance that establishes lower speed limits on select streets. The change comes after an in-depth assessment by a city-hired consulting firm that analyzed data from streets that are routinely reviewed as part of the State mandated Engineering and Traffic Survey, as well as new legislation regarding setting speed limits.
Under state law, cities previously had to set speed limits based solely on the speed at which most drivers were traveling, which was impacted due to excessive speeding. Enacted in 2022, Assembly Bill (AB) 43 now gives cities the flexibility to consider criteria such as crash history and adjacent land use when setting speed limits. Additionally, cities can reduce default speed limits in “Business Activity Districts” from 25 mph to 20 mph. These changes help cities maintain speed limits at levels appropriate for street conditions and operational needs.
