The proposal focuses on school zones, business districts and roads with a history of serious crashes.
SAN DIEGO — The San Diego City Council is expected to vote Monday on a plan that would reduce speed limits on about 20% of San Diego streets. The proposal focuses on school zones, business districts and roads with a history of serious crashes, including Camino Del Rio South.
Along that street, a memorial now sits next to a speed limit sign honoring Matt Keenan. Keenan was killed in 2021 while riding his bike to a movie theater, leaving behind his wife, Laura Keenan, and their 15-month-old son.
“He was doing everything right. He was in the bike lane, and a wrong-way driver crossed into his bike lane and hit him head-on. And she was going at least 35 miles per hour, and statistics show that had she been going just five miles per hour slower, he likely would be alive today,” said Laura Keenan.
Since the crash, Laura Keenan has been advocating for safer streets with Families for Safe Streets San Diego, pushing for policy changes she says could help prevent similar tragedies.
“We know that every mile per hour really matters, and so that’s the reason I’m sharing my story,” Keenan said.
Under the proposal, speed limits on streets with high crash rates and heavy pedestrian or bicycle traffic would drop by five miles per hour. That includes Camino Del Rio South and Jackson Avenue, where an 11-year-old boy was hit and killed while crossing the street last October.
The plan would also lower speed limits in business districts to 25 or 20 miles per hour, while all school zones would be reduced to 15 miles per hour.
The proposal is being led by San Diego City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who says even small changes in speed can make a big difference in preventing serious injuries.
“Five miles an hour will give a driver more time to stop and avoid a collision, or somebody to get out of the way, or if there is a collision, five miles an hour can really reduce the severity of that crash,” Whitburn said.
The plan is possible because of a recent change in California state law that gives cities more flexibility to set speed limits based on safety factors rather than strictly following traditional traffic studies.
“I seized upon that and said, ‘Okay, now let’s reduce our speed limits,’” Whitburn said.
If approved, Whitburn said the changes could begin rolling out within the next year, starting with school zones.
However, the effort will come with a cost. City officials estimate it will take more than $1 million to replace roughly 3,000 speed limit signs across San Diego.
“So that will have to be in the budget, but I think for the safety of our residents, and particularly the kids, it’s well worth it,” Whitburn said.
Advocates say lowering speeds will not solve every safety issue on San Diego streets, but they believe it is an important step.
“This is really a way that our elected officials can take a stance and show that they really want to prioritize lives,” Keenan said.