SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The South Lake Tahoe City Council voted Tuesday to lower the speed limit on Sierra Blvd. from 35 mph to 30 mph.
Two-lane undivided roadways like Sierra Blvd. can have a maximum 55 mph speed limit, and to keep it lower, cities must conduct Engineering and Traffic surveys (E&TS) to indicate the safe speed zone for a road. California law requires cities to conduct a speed survey every 10 years for a speed limit to be enforceable, even if no changes have been made to the roadway.
The City of South Lake Tahoe hired a traffic engineer to conduct the E&TS, which had expired for Sierra Blvd. The survey showed 85 percent of the drivers go 36 mph on that road, but a reduction of five mph is allowable to meet the needs of the community if justification is provided. Council voted unanimously to lower the speed limit to 30 mph since the road has high pedestrian and bicyclist activity with the completion of the Dennis T. Machida Memorial Greenway, acting as a connection to trails, Bijou Community Park, and Lake Tahoe Community College.
The vote is a first reading, and the matter will come before the Council on September 9 for final approval.
