Modesto OKs 15 mph speed limit at most schools. Pelandale increase draws protest
Students will return to most Modesto schools in August to find lower speed limits for drivers.
The City Council approved the change from 25 to 15 mph on Tuesday, June 23. It will take effect 30 days later on about 80 street segments, enforced when children are present. Only two-lane streets are affected.
The vote also involved increasing speed limits on several major routes. The most debate was over bumping Pelandale Avenue from 50 to 55 mph between Dale Road and McHenry Avenue.
Councilmember Rosa Escutia-Braaton, whose district includes that part of Pelandale, said residents have had trouble turning onto the expressway from intersecting streets.
City Engineer Toby Wells said the state requires a traffic study for each speed limit change. It looks at crash history, street layout, nearby land uses and the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists. Not approving the 55 mph recommended for Pelandale could allow a driver to challenge a speeding ticket in court, Wells said.
Other council members said they, too, did not like the new Pelandale speed limit but had little choice under the law. The vote was 8-1, with Escutia-Braaton dissenting.
The part of Pelandale between Sisk Road and Dale will remain 50 mph. A sampling on other changes on major routes:
- Claus Road will drop from 50 to 45 mph between Scenic Drive and Yosemite Boulevard. Claus ranges from four to six lanes in this stretch.
- Carver Road will go from 25 to 30 mph between Briggsmore Avenue and North Ninth Street.
- The limit will rise from 35 to 40 mph on Prescott Road between Standiford Avenue and Rumble Road. The same will happen on Dale between Pelandale and Standiford.
How does a school qualify for 15 mph?
Schools zones had long been 25 mph throughout California. The shift to 15 mph aims to protect students and staff members coming and going.
A few Modesto schools already have 15 mph zones, such as Rose Avenue Elementary. Many campuses also have prominent crosswalks and speed bumps to slow drivers.
State law allows 15 mph only on two-lane streets within 500 feet of a school.
Four-lane and wider routes are 25 mph when children are present and various higher limits at other times. Orangeburg Avenue, for example, passes Fremont Elementary School and Roosevelt Junior High School on adjoining blocks. Coffee Road has Downey High School and Muir and Sylvan elementary schools.
This story was originally published June 26, 2026 at 11:08 AM.
