SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The South Lake Tahoe City Council approved a lowering of speed limits on some streets in the city after an Engineering and Traffic Survey (E&TS) was completed. 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 Council approved a reduction in speed to 30 mph on Ski Run Blvd. from US50 to Pioneer Trail, on Lake Tahoe Blvd. from SR89 (the Y) to D Street, and a reduction to 25 mph on Pioneer Trail from Keller Road to US50.
Two-lane roads can have up to a 55 mph speed limit, but traffic studies and individual jurisdictions can create a different speed should it be deemed necessary for safety. To have posted speeds lower, cities must conduct the E&TS, and study several other variables including accidents, how fast 85 percent of the drivers travel, how many residents are on the street, and how many businesses are on them.
The new ordinance will have a second reading during the next Council meeting on December 10, and then becomes law 30 days after that. New signs will be posted on the roads where the speed has changed.
After the vote, the Council asked for an evaluation of Sierra Blvd. for possible reduction in speed.