The speed limit is dropping along Highway 1 in California. Here’s where
Caltrans will lower the speed limit on a 44.5-mile portion of Highway 1 in the next month to enhance traffic safety, the agency announced in a news release Thursday.
Three new speed limits will be implemented on Highway 1, according to Caltrans.
The first is on a 14-mile stretch of highway from the Monterey County line to just north of the Sand Dollar Picnic Beach area, Caltrans said. There, the speed limit will be reduced from 55 mph to 45 mph.
Meanwhile, Caltrans will lower the speed limit from 55 mph to 50 mph on a 22.5-mile portion of the highway from just north of the Sand Dollar Picnic Beach area to just north of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.
Finally, the speed limit will be reduced from 55 mph to 40 mph on an 8-mile stretch of the highway from north of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park to just south of Coast Ridge Road, Caltrans said.
“Enforcement of the new lower speeds will begin once all speed limit signs have been updated,” the release said. “These updates are expected to be completed within the next 30 days.”
Why is Caltrans lowering speed limit on Highway 1?
Caltrans recently conducted an engineering and traffic study of Highway 1 as part of a California Department of Transportation program that requires the evaluation of speed limits on state highways.
The study found that this 44.5-mile stretch of highway includes “limited shoulder width, a high density of bicyclists and the presence of pedestrians,” according to the release — prompting the agency to lower the speed limit.
“Slower speeds will afford motorists greater reaction time in navigating the roadway, reducing the likelihood of collisions and enhancing overall road safety,” Monterey area California Highway Patrol Capt. Ian Troxell said in the release.
Caltrans also uses the California Vehicle Code, the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, Caltrans Director’s Policy 36 and engineering judgment to set highway speed limits, according to the release.
The Caltrans Director’s Policy 36 aims to achieve the “goal of zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2050,” the release said.
This story was originally published March 8, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
