Goleta residents should prepare to start slowing down as the City Council is likely to approve reduced speed limits in several areas. 

If approved, speeds will drop 5 to 10 mph in many of the city’s busiest areas. 

The majority of Calle Real, Cathedral Oaks, Covington Way, Fairview Avenue, most of Hollister Avenue, Glen Annie Road, Kellogg Avenue, a portion of Los Carneros Road, Patterson Avenue, Stroke Road, and Ward Drive will likely see reduced speeds. 

Assembly Bill 43, which went into effect June 30 of this year, gives local governments the authority to reduce speed limits on streets that have the highest number of serious injuries, fatal accidents, and support a high amount of bicycle and pedestrian traffic. 

City staff introduced the ordinance to the council at the Aug. 20 City Council meeting; the council is likely to make the ordinance official at Tuesday’s meeting. 

Mayor Paula Perotte said she’s wanted to reduce speed limits for quite some time.

“It’s hard for me to hold back my excitement over this because it’s been so long coming. Now that we have more local control in lowering it even more,” Perotte said at the city council meeting, “this is really exciting to see.”

The reduced speed limits are part of the city’s Vision Zero initiative that it adopted earlier this year. Derek Rapp, the city's contract traffic engineer, said that this is a key part of Vision Zero.

“If you’re a pedestrian or on a bike and you’re in a collision at 40 mph, you have an 80% chance of having a serious injury or death. That drops in half if you drop to 30 mph,” Rapp said. “These are the types of results we’re looking to achieve.” 

Councilmember Stuart Kasdin asked how the city will be able to ensure compliance with the new speed limits. 

Rapp noted that the city will have to consider how they want to use enforcement.

“It is true that our enforcement capabilities, just like for parking and speed and a variety of other traffic violations, are spread pretty thin,” Rapp said. “The resources are not always there, and especially with such a dramatic change with all the speed limits there’s gonna have to be a prioritization of where those resources are used.”

Senior Deputy Jeff Farmer with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office told the council that they can’t solely rely on enforcement to ensure compliance and that education will be important. Farmer said they’ll be focusing on the busiest areas and that having officers visible will help to remind residents to slow down. 

In school zones, speed limits will remain 25 mph when children are present. 

As part of AB 43, there is a 30-day grace period after the new speed limit signs are posted until enforcement can begin, according to Rapp. New signs will likely be added toward the end of the year.

The city is set to adopt the new speed limit sat Tuesday's City Council meeting.