Speed limits dropped by 5 mph on 19 Beverly Hills street segments starting Thursday, Oct. 1, bringing 20 mph zones to the Business Triangle shopping area and 30 mph limits to several major corridors.

The reductions, authorized by an ordinance the council approved at its Aug. 11 and Sept. 1 meetings, will become enforceable as new signs go up over the next several weeks, according to the city. Drivers won't face fines on a given block until the updated sign is in place.

The Beverly Hills Standard reported that state law requires warning citations during the first 30 days for drivers exceeding a newly lowered limit by 10 mph or less. The city's press release did not address a warning period.

Thirteen segments in and around the Business Triangle, including Rodeo Drive, Beverly Drive, Brighton Way and South Santa Monica Boulevard, fell from 25 mph to 20 mph. Six segments on larger roads dropped from 35 mph to 30 mph: Benedict Cañon Drive, Doheny Drive, La Cienega Boulevard, Olympic Boulevard, North Santa Monica Boulevard and San Vicente Boulevard.

Sunset Boulevard was left out. The western segment recorded an 85th-percentile speed of 42 mph, too high for a reduction under state guidelines. Beverly Hills Police Department Sgt. Josh Cudworth told the council at the Aug. 11 meeting, as reported by the Beverly Press, that officers had issued more than 500 speeding citations on Sunset in the prior 18 months.

The changes stem from an Engineering and Traffic Survey (E&TS) by consulting firm Fehr & Peers, which evaluated 40 road segments on 26 streets covering about 23.5 miles. The firm found that the 85th-percentile speed exceeded the posted limit at roughly 62% of locations surveyed.

Assembly Bill 43, enacted in 2022, gave California cities new authority to factor in crash history and adjacent land use when setting speed limits. It also allowed cities to lower limits in Business Activity Districts from 25 mph to 20 mph. Under prior state law, limits were based largely on the speed most drivers were already traveling.

Mayor Craig Corman said in a statement Tuesday, Sept. 29, that reducing limits "in key corridors throughout Beverly Hills will help ensure the safety of motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists."

When the council introduced the ordinance on Aug. 11, Corman acknowledged the rollout could catch residents off guard. "These are going to measurably change the way people drive in our city," he told the council, as reported by the Beverly Press.

The city has not announced a completion date for sign installation. Enforcement on each block begins once the new sign is posted.