CALTRANS HAS ANNOUNCED that it is reducing the speed limit on U.S. Highway 101 between San Miguel and King City from 70 mph to 65 mph.
Highway 101 between San Miguel and King City is a 44-mile (70.81 km) stretch of highway in San Luis Obispo and Monterey counties.
The decision to reduce the speed limit follows an observation by Caltrans of increased fatal and injury collisions along the corridor in recent years. The California Highway Patrol’s King City office also reported 71 percent of their citations for people driving over 100 mph happen on this segment of the highway.
The new speed limit takes effect by Aug. 25. Caltrans said that the decision comes as part of the agency’s expectation to prioritize safety to achieve its goal of zero fatalities and severe injuries by 2050.
Caltrans said in a statement Aug. 17 that it will monitor the effectiveness of the new speed limit and adjust as needed. In addition to the speed limit reduction, Caltrans is also taking other steps to improve safety on this stretch of highway, including adding more passing lanes, widening shoulders, and installing new signage.