Fresno Drops School Zone Speed Limits to 20 MPH — First in California to Beat State Deadline

Every school zone in Fresno now has a 20 mph speed limit, down from 25. The city became the first in California to make the change — five years ahead of a state mandate requiring it statewide by 2031.

Mayor Jerry Dyer and City Council President Nelson Esparza announced the rollout last week. Around 800 new speed limit signs have gone up across the city. The change follows a resolution Esparza introduced to the council in late February, which passed unanimously.

“Five miles doesn’t seem like a lot but the reality is in terms of reaction time for the driver, it is enough time to be between striking a child and not striking a child,” Dyer said. “It’s enough time to give a child who may be in front of a car time to get out of the way of the car.”

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The state passed AB 382 last year, setting a January 1, 2031 deadline for all California cities to adopt the 20 mph limit in school zones. Until then, cities can choose to act early. Fresno is the first to do so.

Esparza, a parent himself, had a direct message for drivers as students head back to school: “Slow down around our children, put down your phone, watch the sidewalks, stop before the crosswalk, obey your crossing guards at your local school and if you are running late, then be late. Wherever you are going is not worth a child’s life.”

Students noticed. Alekxy Gonzalez, a sophomore at CTEC, said she’s always watching cars pass quickly near campus. “I definitely think this will be a lot safer for us kids and the drivers,” she said. Kennedy Romero, also a CTEC sophomore, said her family was in a crash this year caused by a driver following too close and going too fast. “I think this change is really good for children to stay safe,” she said.

Ezequiel Guzman, a CTEC sophomore who walks to school, said he has friends who ride scooters. “Now I don’t have to worry about my friends or family being hit by a car now so it’s really great.”

The city plans to increase police presence near campuses as school resumes. Tickets in school zones can be double the usual price.

Fresno Unified recorded five pedestrian accidents near campuses last year. AJ Kato, a district spokesperson, said the district is “pleased to see speeds reduced from 25 to 20 miles per hour and are proud it’s being done proactively ahead of the state’s deadline.” Kelly Avants, a Clovis Unified spokesperson, said her district looks forward to seeing how the change affects citywide safety.

The project cost the city an estimated $400,000.

The Breakdown

• AB 382, passed by the state legislature in 2025, requires all California cities to adopt a 20 mph speed limit in school zones by January 1, 2031.
• Fresno City Council passed a resolution in late February to implement the change early, ahead of the state deadline — unanimously supported.
• Around 800 new speed limit signs have been installed citywide.
• The city is increasing traffic officer presence near schools to enforce the new limit.
• Fines for speeding in school zones can be double the standard rate.
• Total project cost: approximately $400,000.

What This Means for You

This is a decision your City Council made — unanimously — and one your Mayor is now putting into effect across every school zone in Fresno. The difference between 25 and 20 mph is a few seconds for a driver, but it’s the margin between a child getting out of the way and a child being struck. When you’re weighing whether your council and mayor are prioritizing the safety of kids walking, biking, or getting dropped off at school, this is what that priority looks like in action.

If you drive through a school zone, you’re now expected to slow down. If you don’t, the ticket will cost you more than usual — and the city is putting more officers near campuses to make sure the limit is enforced. If you have a child who walks or bikes to school, this change is designed to give them a better chance of making it there and home safely.

What You Can Do

Obey the 20 mph limit in every school zone — the signs are up, and enforcement is increasing. If you see drivers speeding near a school, you can report concerns to Fresno Police non-emergency dispatch. If you’re a parent or community member who wants to see additional safety measures near a specific campus (crossing guards, better signage, traffic calming), contact your City Council representative or attend a council meeting to raise it directly.

What to Watch

The city spent $400,000 on this — new signs and increased officer presence. The real test is whether it actually reduces the number of kids getting hit. Fresno Unified reported five pedestrian accidents near campuses last year; that’s the baseline to measure against going forward.

A 20 mph limit only works if drivers actually follow it. The city says it’s increasing police presence near schools, but the question is whether that presence is consistent enough to change driver behavior, or whether it’s a brief back-to-school emphasis that fades once the announcement is over. If enforcement drops off, so will compliance — and the $400,000 becomes signage that drivers ignore.

The other thing worth watching: who gets ticketed. Traffic enforcement in school zones can be applied unevenly — heavier in some neighborhoods than others, targeting some drivers more than others for the same behavior. If the city is serious about this being a safety measure rather than a revenue generator or a selective enforcement tool, the data on where tickets are issued and who receives them should reflect that.