Proposed Ordinance - 5/10/2022SALT LAKE CITY ORDINANCE
No. _____ of 2022
(Ordinance amending Section 12.36.020 of the Salt Lake City Code to Change the Speed Limit
from 25 Miles an Hour to 20 Miles an Hour on City Streets)
WHEREAS, Chapter 12.36 “Speed Limits” sets forth the speed limits for streets within the
Salt Lake City boundaries; and
WHEREAS, Section 12.36.020(B) of the Salt Lake City Code currently sets the prima facie
speed limit for all streets at twenty-five (25) miles per hour, with some exceptions for school zones
and school bus stops; and
WHEREAS, the Salt Lake City Transportation Division is committed to providing a safe
and efficient transportation system for those travelling within Salt Lake City and further supports
the goals of the Vision Zero and Zero Fatalities programs; and
WHEREAS, the Transportation Division has presented evidence that a reduction of the
prima facie speed limit to twenty (20) miles per hour will likely decrease the frequency of
collisions involving motorized vehicles, as well as the severity of outcomes for those involved in
collisions, particularly for vulnerable road users such as bicyclists and pedestrians; and
WHEREAS, the Salt Lake City Council finds that updates to the current ordinance are
necessary to reduce the prima facie speed limit within Salt Lake City from twenty-five (25) miles
per hour to twenty (20) miles per hour to promote public safety and welfare.
NOW, THEREFORE, be it ordained by the City Council of Salt Lake City, Utah:
SECTION 1. Amending Section 12.36.020. Section 12.36.020 of the Salt Lake City Code
shall be, and hereby is, amended to read as follows:
Where no special hazard exists that requires a lower speed for compliance with section
12.30.010 of this chapter, or its successor, the speed of any vehicle in excess of limits specified in
this title is prima facie evidence that the speed is not reasonable or prudent and that it is unlawful:
A. Twenty Miles Per Hour for Special Hazards:
1. Upon meeting or overtaking any school bus which has stopped on the street for
the purpose of receiving or discharging any schoolchildren, provided such school bus bears
upon the front and rear thereof a plainly visible sign containing the words “school bus” in
letters no less than four inches (4”) high which can be removed or covered when the vehicle
is not in use as a school bus;
2. When passing a school building or the grounds thereof, or through a designated
school crossing zone during school recess, or while children are going to or leaving school
during opening or closing hours;
B. Twenty Miles Per Hour. As of the effective date of this ordinance, on any city
streets in which the speed limit is 25 miles per hour, whether posted or not, the speed limit shall
be reduced to 20 miles per hour. The city transportation director shall modify all existing posted
signs to reduce the speed limit from 25 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour.
SECTION 2. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall become effective on the date of its first
publication.
Passed by the City Council of Salt Lake City, Utah this __ day of ____________, 2022.
____________________________
Daniel Dugan, Council Chair
ATTEST:
______________________________
CITY RECORDER
Transmitted to Mayor on __________________
Mayor’s Action: _______Approved. _______Vetoed.
_____________________________
Mayor Erin Mendenhall
____________________________
CITY RECORDER
(SEAL)
APPROVED AS TO FORM
Salt Lake City Attorney’s Office
_____________________________
Katherine Lewis, City Attorney
Bill No. ________ of 2022
Published: ______________.
Katherine Lewis (May 6, 2022 13:30 MDT)