Expanded school zones and lower speed limits are a win for kids and neighborhoods

More than 15 years ago, Walk SF fought for San Francisco to lower speed limits around schools citywide. Our advocacy is what led the SFMTA to create 15 MPH school zones at more than 200 public and private schools in 2011. Drivers should always go slow near schools, and lower speed limits help send that message and protect kids.

But painfully, state law prevented the SFMTA from lowering speed limits on streets with more than two lanes, leaving a major safety gap at many schools. And these are the most dangerous streets in terms of speed because drivers feel comfortable going faster on wider streets and pedestrians have a longer distance to cross.

The good news is that last year, the State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 382, which overhauls how school zone speed limits work in California. Under AB 382:

• A larger number of streets near schools can be lowered to 15 MPH speed limits — not just streets directly adjacent to school property.
• Starting in 2031, every street within 500 feet of a school in California must have a maximum 20 MPH school zone speed limit, regardless of the number of lanes a street has or existing speed limits. Cities are allowed to implement this part sooner though, if they choose.
• Other changes are included to improve how school zones work, which has long been confusing and limiting for cities.

On Tuesday, the SFMTA Board of Directors approved an action allowing staff to begin implementing AB 382 immediately, rather than waiting.

We’re grateful that the SFMTA is acting to use their new authority – and moving faster than the law requires. At Tuesday’s public meeting, Walk SF expressed the urgency of moving quickly for schools that have been stuck with high speed limits for too long. We also asked for lower speed limits to be expanded in all school zones as much as the new law allows, and we will watchdog the SFMTA in delivering this.

While we know drivers don’t always heed lower speed limits, they’re a crucial starting point and are particularly effective in bringing down the most dangerous, outlier speeds. Lowering speed limits is one of the cheapest, easiest tools the SFMTA has available.

With speeding as the #1 cause of severe and fatal crashes in San Francisco, we need every solution possible to be implemented. This is what Walk SF’s Slow Our Streets campaign is all about.

Photo credit: SFMTA Photo Archive