Costa Mesa motorists will soon have to pump the brakes in school zones

City Council members unanimously approved a program of targeted reductions that could be enacted early next year, thanks to a California law calling for speed caps within 500 feet of a school to be lowered, from the ubiquitous 25 to 20 mph.

Signed into law last October, Assembly Bill 382 mandates the change be implemented statewide by 2031 but contains a provision allowing cities to enact their own reductions before then. The Costa Mesa City Council adopted such a resolution during an Oct. 6 regular meeting.

Costa Mesa city officials approved a plan to reduce school zone speed limits from 25 mph to 20 mph, ahead of a state law that takes effect in 2031. (Screenshot by Sara Cardine) The new law also opens up the possibility of editing under which circumstances or conditions a school zone speed reduction would be enforced, from current mentions about the presence of children to flashing light beacons on signs or during posted time periods.

City transportation manager Paul Marin told the council the speed limit on many streets near schools is already 25 mph, meaning there’s no requirement for a vehicle to slow when it approaches a campus.

“This provides an opportunity for us in the city to modify the school zone speed limit to 20 mph, reducing that speed for youth safety as well as all travelers in the area,” Martin said, adding that the law lets cities adjust school zone speeds down to 15 mph if necessary.

However, in school zones that have larger thoroughfares, on which traffic is allowed to travel speeds of 30 mph or higher, posted limits will remain at 25 mph until AB 382’s mandates take effect on Jan. 1, 2031.

Instead of enacting a citywide change, city staff is focusing on residential roads and will monitor any changes in the number of crash incidents or prevailing speeds.

“Enforcement of new limits would only occur after some degree of education and public understanding,” Martin said.

Residents and safety advocates broadly supported the initial reductions, which staff has estimated would take a matter of months to implement.

Costa Mesa Planning Commissioner David Martinez works for the grassroots active transportation group Safe Streets For All, which sponsored the bill. Speaking as a resident, he called the move an important step to keep children safe as they go to and from school.

Resident Mary Lemongelli said during 40 years of working as a nurse, she saw many children seriously injured by vehicles.

“I am sure none of us here tonight wishes to see a makeshift flower memorial at the curbside in front of College Park Elementary,” she said.

Councilmember Arlis Reynolds proposed a council resolution to begin planning reductions, suggesting staff work on changing limits in all school zones at once for clearer outreach and encouraging enforcement of new limits.

“I’m excited by this,” she added. “I think it’s going to be wildly popular.”

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Sara Cardine covers the city of Costa Mesa for the Daily Pilot. She came from the La Cañada Valley Sun, where she spent six years as the news reporter covering La Cañada Flintridge and received a first-place Public Service Journalism award from the California News Publishers Assn. She’s also worked at the Pasadena Weekly, Stockton Record and Lodi-News Sentinel, which instilled in her a love for community news. (714) 966-4627