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Council may reduce residential speed limit to 20 mph
The City Council is considering reducing the speed limit to 20 mph for all residential streets.
Berkeley’s pedestrian accident rate is higher than San Francisco’s, which is infamous, and is 72 percent larger than that of Los Angeles, known for its car culture, said Nancy Holland, chair of the city council’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Task Force.
Using figures supplied by the city of Oakland, the task force found that Berkeley’s average pedestrian accident rate per 100,000 people was 137.4, compared with 136.9 for San Francisco, 85.6 for Oakland and 79.8 for Los Angeles, Holland said.
Councilman Kriss Worthington said his proposal would not apply to main thoroughfares.
Councilwoman Polly Armstrong called the idea “a waste of time and a waste of money” that “would give people a false sense of security.”
The city would have to post signs on all affected streets. Under state law, an unposted residential street speed limit is 25 mph.
