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requested to survey this situation , also , and furnish recommendations . Council - man Keckley advised that the Committee felt these two matters were worthy of Council consideration , and suggested taking up for discussion first the portion of the report pertaining to changing the speed limits . City Attorney explained that the State Code provisions which allow municipalities to change prima facie speed limit requires that survey be made and determination made by Council before introducing ordinance . If the findings are that speeds permitted by State law are less than necessary for safe operation of vehicles , one of two conditions exists , either sign posting of streets which are through streets , or that they are constructed in such a way that intersections are widely spaced , either of these conditions would provide next reason for finding the State prima facie limits to be less than necessary for safe operation . City Manager requested that recommendations of the Chief of Police and the Traffic Engineer be made a part of the record ( See City Clerk ' s file - Traffic ) . Councilman Keckley then called upon Police Chief to give the rationale behind establishing the 85 percentile rating in order to increase maximum speeds in certain areas of the City . He added that the study was requested by the Ordinance Review Committee because of discussions regarding speed limits on Jefferson Ave - nue , where it was felt adhering to the 25 MPH limit was impeding flow of traffic . It was also agreed that if survey is to be made on that street , all major streets should be studied at the same time and included in the same ordinance . Police Chief began his remarks by quoting from the State of California Division 7 of Highways Traffic Planning Manual : " The basic speed law states that no person shall drive at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent . The majority of drivers comply with this law , and disregard regulations which they consider un - reasonable . It is only the top fringe of drivers who are inclined to be reckless unreliable , or who have faulty judgment and must be controlled by enforcement . Speeds set at or slightly below the 85 percentile speed provide law enforcement officers with a means of controlling the drivers who will not conform to what the majority considers reasonable and prudent . " The 85 percentile speed is the speed at which or below which 85% of the traffic is moving . With these facts in mind , the Police Department did a radar study of several selected streets , and of the five being recommended for increased maximum speed limit , 85% of the drivers on a normal day travelled at or above 35 MPH . He stated that what has come to pass is that speed laws are enforced only at 4O MPH , or above , and that enforcement will remain at that speed level even if the limit is raised , to 35 MPH . If the 25 MPH limit was strictly enforced , he said 95% of the drivers would be cited . It was questioned relative to the statement in the State Manual what would be gained by increasing limit since ability for enforcement is presumed and Police Chief advised there would be less of an enforcement problem . Nine out of ten Novicv