Chapter 8.30
SPEED LIMITS1
Sections:
8.30.010 State laws applicable – Variance by city.
8.30.020 Increasing state speed limit.
8.30.030 Decreasing state speed limit.
8.30.050 Temporary decreases authorized.
8.30.010 State laws applicable – Variance by city.
The state traffic laws regulating the speed of vehicles shall be applicable upon all streets within the city, except that the legislative authority of the city, as authorized by state law, may declare and determine by order, rule or regulation, properly adopted, that certain increased or decreased speed regulations shall be applicable upon specified streets or in certain areas, in which event it is unlawful for any person to operate a vehicle at a speed in excess of the speed so established when proper signs are in place giving notice thereof.
(Ord. No. 90-29, § 1, 2-13-90. Code 2001 § 15-56.)
8.30.020 Increasing state speed limit.
Whenever conditions are found to exist upon an arterial street or highway which warrant an increase in the speed permitted by state law, the city council, subject to the approval of the State Secretary of Transportation in cases involving state highways, shall determine and declare a reasonable and safe maximum speed limit for such arterial street or highway, or portion thereof, not to exceed 60 miles per hour.
(Ord. No. 21-905, § 2, 1-19-21; Ord. No. 90-29, § 2, 2-13-90. Code 2001 § 15-57.)
8.30.030 Decreasing state speed limit.
Whenever it is deemed inadvisable for vehicles to operate at the maximum speed allowed by state law on any portion of a street or public highway on account of a sharp curvature, highway construction or repairs, excessive traffic, any dangerous condition, or other temporary or permanent cause, the city council, subject to the approval of the State Secretary of Transportation in cases involving state highways, shall determine and fix a lower maximum speed or otherwise regulate a lesser speed; provided, that in no case shall the maximum speed be reduced to less than 20 miles per hour.
(Ord. No. 21-905, § 3, 1-19-21; Ord. No. 90-29, § 3, 2-13-90. Code 2001 § 15-58.)
8.30.040 Schedule.
The maximum speed limits set forth in the following schedule of speed limits are hereby established as the reasonable and safe maximum speed limits to be effective at all times upon the streets and highways designated in the schedule. The mayor shall cause appropriate signs to be erected on such streets and highways, giving notice of the speed limits, as provided in this chapter. Unless otherwise listed below, no person shall operate a motor vehicle upon a street or highway in excess of 25 miles per hour.
(1) Speed limit 20 mph. No person shall operate a motor vehicle upon the following described roads in excess of 20 mph:
All internal park roads.
18th Place South, between South 341st Place and South 344th Street.
22nd Avenue Southwest, between Southwest 334th Street and cul-de-sac south of Southwest 334th Street.
22nd Court Southwest, between Southwest 333rd Street and cul-de-sac north of Southwest 333rd Street.
22nd Place Southwest, between Southwest 333rd Street and Southwest 334th Street.
23rd Avenue Southwest, between Southwest 333rd Street and cul-de-sac south of Southwest 334th Street.
24th Avenue Southwest, between Southwest 333rd Street and cul-de-sac south of Southwest 334th Street.
25th Avenue Southwest, between Southwest 334th Street and cul-de-sac south of Southwest 334th Street.
26th Avenue Southwest, between 100 feet north of Southwest 333rd Street to end of road south of Southwest 334th Street.
Southwest 333rd Street, between 22nd Place Southwest and 26th Avenue Southwest.
Southwest 334th Street, between 21st Avenue Southwest and 26th Avenue Southwest.
(2) Speed limit 30 mph. No person shall operate a motor vehicle upon the following described roads in excess of 30 miles per hour:
6th Avenue South, between South 334th Street and South 336th Street.
8th Avenue South, between 9th Avenue South and South 333rd Street.
9th Avenue South, between South 336th Street and South 332nd Street.
10th Place South, between South 336th Street and end of street.
11th Avenue South, between South 348th Street and end of road.
11th Place South, between South 320th Street and South 324th Street.
13th Place South, between South 336th Street and end of road.
13th Place South, between South 324th Street and South 330th Street.
16th Avenue South, between South Dash Point Road (State Route 509) and South 304th Street.
16th Avenue South, between South 356th Street and South 364th Way, and between South 304th Street and South Dash Point Road (State Route 509).
17th Avenue South, between South 324th Street and South 325th Street.
18th Place South, between South 340th Street and South 341st Place.
23rd Avenue South, between South 312th Street and South 324th Street.
20th Avenue South, between South 341st Place and South 336th Street.
21st Avenue South, between South 341st Place and end of road.
32nd Avenue South, between South 323rd Street and South 316th Street.
Pete von Reichbauer Way South, between South 312th Street and South 320th Street.
South 288th Street, between Pacific Highway South (State Route 99) and east city limits.
South 304th Street, between Pacific Highway South (State Route 99) and Military Road South.
South 316th Street, between 23rd Avenue South and 14th Avenue South.
South 317th Street, between 23rd Avenue South and 28th Avenue South.
South 323rd Street, between 32nd Avenue South and Weyerhaeuser Way South.
South 324th Street, between 11th Place South and 23rd Avenue South.
South 325th Street, between Pacific Highway South (State Route 99) and 17th Avenue South.
South 330th Street, between Pacific Highway South (State Route 99) and 13th Place South.
South 332nd Street, between South 333rd Street and end of road.
South 332nd Street, between Pacific Highway South (State Route 99) and 15th Avenue South.
South 333rd Street, between 1st Way South and South 332nd Street.
South 334th Street, between 8th Avenue South and 6th Avenue South.
South 335th Street, between 6th Avenue South and end of street.
South 341st Place, between 16th Avenue South and 21st Avenue South.
South 344th Street, between 9th Avenue South and end of road.
South 347th Place, between 11th Place South and end of road.
South 352nd Street, between Enchanted Parkway South (State Route 161) and end of road.
South 364th Way, between 12th Avenue South and 16th Avenue South.
Milton Road South, between Enchanted Parkway South (State Route 161) and South 372nd Street.
South 372nd Street, between Milton Road South and Milton Road South.
Milton Road South, between South 372nd Street and South 376th Street.
(3) Speed limit 35 mph. No person shall operate a motor vehicle upon the following described roads in excess of 35 miles per hour:
1st Avenue South, between South 296th Street and South 356th Street.
12th Avenue South, between South 372nd Way and South 364th Way.
16th Avenue South, between Pacific Highway South (State Route 99) and South 348th Street (State Route 18).
10th Avenue Southwest, between Southwest Campus Drive and 6th Avenue Southwest.
21st Avenue Southwest, between Southwest Dash Point Road (State Route 509) and Southwest 356th Street.
28th Avenue South, between South 304th Street and South 317th Street.
South 288th Street, between Pacific Highway South (State Route 99) and Interstate 5.
South and Southwest 312th Street, between Southwest Dash Point Road (State Route 509) and 28th Avenue South.
South and Southwest 320th Street, between 1,000 feet west of 1st Avenue South and Interstate 5 and between 21st Avenue Southwest and 47th Avenue Southwest.
South 336th Street, between 1st Way South and Weyerhaeuser Way South.
Southwest 336th Street, between 21st Avenue Southwest and 26th Place Southwest.
Southwest 336th Way, between 26th Place Southwest and 30th Avenue Southwest.
Southwest 340th Street, between 30th Avenue Southwest and Hoyt Road Southwest.
South 344th Street, between Weyerhaeuser Way South and 1,500 feet east of Weyerhaeuser Way South.
Southwest 344th Street, between 21st Avenue Southwest and 35th Avenue Southwest.
South 348th Street, between 1st Avenue and Pacific Highway South (State Route 99).
South 348th Street (State Route 18), between Pacific Highway South (State Route 99) and 16th Avenue South.
South 352nd Street, between Pacific Highway South (State Route 99) and Enchanted Parkway South (State Route 161).
South 356th Street, between 1st Avenue South and 16th Avenue South.
South 359th Street, between Pacific Highway South (State Route 99) and Enchanted Parkway South (State Route 161).
South 373rd Street, between Pacific Highway South (State Route 99) and South 372nd Way.
South 372nd Way, between 12th Avenue South and South 373rd Street.
Hoyt Road Southwest, between Southwest Dash Point Road (State Route 509) and Pierce County.
Redondo Way South, between South Dash Point Road (State Route 509) and South 284th Street (if extended).
Southwest Campus Drive, between 1st Avenue South and 21st Avenue Southwest.
South Star Lake Road, between South 272nd Street and Military Road South.
Weyerhaeuser Way South, between South 320th Street and South 349th Street.
Southwest Dash Point Road (State Route 509), between Pierce County and 16th Avenue SW.
(4) Speed limit 40 mph. No person shall operate a motor vehicle upon the following described roads in excess of 40 miles per hour:
South and Southwest 320th Street, between 21st Avenue Southwest and 1,000 feet west of 1st Avenue South and between Interstate 5 and 1,000 feet east of Weyerhaeuser Way South.
Southwest 356th Street, between 1st Avenue South and 20th Avenue Southwest.
Enchanted Parkway South (State Route 161), between South 348th Street and Milton Road South.
Military Road South, Interstate 5 at South Star Lake Road and Interstate 5 at South 307th Street (if extended).
Pacific Highway South (State Route 99), between South 304th Street and South 359th Street.
South and Southwest Dash Point Road (State Route 509), between 16th Avenue SW and Pacific Highway South (State Route 99).
(5) Speed limit 45 mph. No person shall operate a motor vehicle upon the following described roads in excess of 45 miles per hour:
Military Road South, between South 320th Street and State Route 18.
Pacific Highway South (State Route 99), between South 272nd Street and South 304th Street.
(6) Speed limit 50 mph. No person shall operate a motor vehicle upon the following described roads in excess of 50 miles per hour:
Pacific Highway South (State Route 99), between South 359th Street and Pierce County.
(Ord. No. 25-1012, § 1, 6-3-25; Ord. No. 21-909, § 1, 3-2-21; Ord. No. 21-905, § 4, 1-19-21; Ord. No. 17-832, § 1, 4-4-17; Ord. No. 15-807, § 1, 12-1-15; Ord. No. 13-740, § 1, 5-7-13; Ord. No. 10-675, § 1, 10-19-10; Ord. No. 10-669, § 65, 9-21-10; Ord. No. 10-668, § 1, 9-21-10; Ord. No. 03-449, § 1, 9-16-03; Ord. No. 00-364, § 1, 2-15-00; Ord. No. 96-259, § 1, 1-2-96; Ord. No. 93-177, § 1, 6-1-93; Ord. No. 90-29, § 4, 2-13-90. Code 2001 § 15-59.)
8.30.045 School speed limits.
The public works director, subject to the approval of the State Secretary of Transportation on state highways, shall determine and establish school or playground speed zones consistent with criteria established by state law.
(Ord. No. 21-905, § 1, 1-19-21.)
8.30.050 Temporary decreases authorized.
Whenever it is deemed unadvisable for vehicles to operate at the maximum speed limit allowed by state law in any portion of a street or public highway on account of temporary conditions, including, but not limited to, highway construction or repairs, identified excessive traffic periods, any dangerous condition, during any emergency period, whether manmade or natural disaster, or any other temporary cause, the public works director, subject to the approval of the State Highway Commission in cases involving state highways, shall determine and fix the lower maximum speed limits or otherwise regulate a lesser speed; provided, in no case shall the maximum speed be reduced to less than 20 miles per hour. In all such cases the public works director shall take steps to ensure that adequate signage reflecting the reduced speed limits shall be maintained.
(Ord. No. 92-145, § 1, 6-16-92. Code 2001 § 15-60.)
8.30.060 Statutes adopted.
The following state statutes are adopted by reference:
RCW
38.52.010 Definitions.
38.52.430 Emergency response caused by person’s intoxication – Recovery of costs from convicted person.
(Res. No. 09-539, § 1, 1-6-09; Ord. No. 02-429, § 17, 11-19-02. Code 2001 § 15-61.)
State law reference: Similar provisions, RCW 46.61.415.