Request Speed Humps, Stop Signs and Red Curb in San Diego

New traffic controls are requested differently from repairs. As of November 1, 2026, the Transportation Department's Tools & Resources page sends requests for a new sign, new striping or curb color painting, or a new stop sign or other traffic safety measure to its Traffic Service Request form, and sends repairs of existing infrastructure, such as faded curb and street paint, to Get It Done.

If an existing traffic signal or sign is broken, see our traffic signals and signs guide instead.

• Location. The form asks for the street and the closest cross street.
• Request type. Choose curb paint, signage, pavement markings and striping, or traffic calming. For curb paint, you also pick the color.
• Description and photos. The request field is limited to 2,000 characters, and you can upload up to 3 photos (GIF, JPG or PNG, 5 MB limit). Describe what you see, for example speeding at certain times of day, a blocked view at a corner, or near-misses at a crossing.
• Your contact information. The form asks for your name, address, phone and email.
• Help with the form: Traffic Engineering Division, 619-533-3126 or trafficops@sandiego.gov.

The City's Traffic Calming Guidelines describe how a resident request becomes a project. The process starts when residents ask staff to look into speeding, cut-through traffic or another traffic safety issue in their neighborhood. Speed humps are one of several tools; others include speed lumps, speed tables and devices that reduce traffic volume.

• Simpler steps first. Staff may decide the issue is better handled by enforcement (radar speed trailers or targeted police enforcement) or by operations changes such as centerline striping, trimming vegetation to improve sight distance, or signage changes.
• Agency review. Staff consult agencies such as the fire department, police, transit agencies and school districts. Fire department approval is required to continue.
• Neighbor petition. For a localized project, the City circulates a petition to residents of the affected street, and 75% or more of the responses must support the treatment. For a neighborhood-wide plan, 75% of the addresses immediately next to the devices must approve, then a study-area survey must meet a minimum response and support rate: at least 33% returned with a simple majority in favor for speed reduction devices, or at least 50% returned with 67% or more in favor for volume reduction measures.
• Community input and funding. The local Community Planning Group's input is advisory, with the City making the final decision, and funding must be identified before a work order is sent for construction.

The guidelines are an older City document, and they do not list speed or volume thresholds for when a resident request qualifies. Ask Traffic Engineering how a request on your street will be evaluated.

City Council Policy 200-08, Criteria for the Installation of Stop Signs, says new stop signs are installed using engineering judgment based on point criteria, and the City is responsible for the counts and measurements.

• Side-street stop. Justified by 15 or more of 30 possible points: collisions correctable by stop signs over a recent three-year period, visibility, traffic and pedestrian volumes, and special conditions such as schools, fire stations, playgrounds, steep hills and bus routes. Three or more such collisions in the period can justify a stop sign on their own.
• All-way stop. Justified by 25 or more of 50 possible points at an intersection that includes a street classified as "Major," or 20 or more points at other intersections. Points come from collisions, special conditions, traffic volumes in the four highest hours of an average day, how evenly traffic is split between the two streets, and pedestrian volumes. The policy notes that all-way stops work best when volumes on both streets are nearly equal.
• Notice. The affected City Councilmember and community planning group get at least 30 days' notice before a final decision on a stop sign installation.
• If the criteria are not met. Any person or community planning group can ask for a re-evaluation with additional information. If the criteria are still not met, the policy describes an alternative process through a community planning group hearing, a Councilmember's written request, and a possible City Council resolution.

New marked crosswalks at uncontrolled locations (without a signal or stop sign) are evaluated under City Council Policy 200-07. A location must meet every basic warrant and score at least 16 points to qualify, and a qualifying crosswalk must be accompanied by crossing treatments or warning devices.

• Basic warrants include at least 10 pedestrians per hour in the peak hour (or qualifying latent demand), an 85th-percentile approach speed of 40 mph or less, a location more than 250 feet from the nearest controlled crossing, enough sight distance, existing lighting, and existing or programmed accessibility for disabled pedestrians.

Our bike lanes and crosswalks guide covers faded crosswalks and crosswalk requests in more detail.

The City's Curb Painting Policy explains each curb color and when it can be installed. To ask an engineer to evaluate a new zone, check whether an existing zone is legal, or report misuse, it says to email TrafficOps@sandiego.gov or call 619-533-3126. The Traffic Service Request form also takes curb paint requests.

• Red (no stopping, standing or parking). May be installed anywhere in the City where parked vehicles at the curb create an unsafe situation for vehicles or pedestrians. On the Traffic Service Request form, a plain red curb request is not listed as needing a fee.
• Red driveway clearance. At the request of the fronting property owner or tenant, typically three to five feet of red curb on each side of a driveway. No one may park next to it, including the resident. The policy lists a one-time fee of $436 for installation and maintenance.
• White, yellow, green and blue zones. White is passenger loading (for places such as hotels, apartment complexes, schools and churches), yellow is commercial loading for businesses, green is 15- or 30-minute parking, and blue is disabled parking, which a resident with a disabled person plate or placard can request near their home. Each is installed by formal application, and the policy lists a one-time fee of $436. None of these zones is reserved parking for one person.
• Faded or illegally painted curb. Use the Get It Done "Curb" report. As of November 1, 2026, Get It Done's average response times table lists 250 days for faded curb paint.

The Traffic Service Request form says driveway clearance and white, yellow, green and blue zones require a fee if approved. The policy document is undated, so confirm the current fee with Traffic Engineering before you apply.

The City's Comprehensive Speed Management Plan (February 2026) explains how speed limits are set:

• Engineering and Traffic Surveys. To be enforceable, speed limits must follow the California Vehicle Code. For most streets posted above 25 mph, the City must complete an Engineering and Traffic Survey, which starts from the 85th-percentile speed of traffic, rounded to the nearest 5 mph, and also looks at crash history, roadway design and land use. The City follows the Vehicle Code and the California MUTCD for these studies.
• Study cycle. The City studies about 842 miles of streets on a 7 to 14 year cycle, and final speed limits are adopted by the City Council. Many residential streets outside that network default to 25 mph under state law.
• Newer state laws. The plan says Assembly Bills 43, 1938 and 382 give cities more flexibility to lower speed limits in certain categories, such as safety corridors, business activity districts and school zones.

The Traffic Service Request form does not have a speed limit option. For a question about a specific street, contact Traffic Engineering at 619-533-3126 or trafficops@sandiego.gov.

• An engineering evaluation. Requests are evaluated against the City's criteria, such as the Council Policies and guidelines above. Submitting a request does not guarantee an installation, and traffic calming also depends on neighbor approval and funding.
• Timelines. We did not find a published timeline for Traffic Service Request evaluations.
• Checking status. The form is not a Get It Done report. For an update, contact the Traffic Engineering Division at 619-533-3126 or trafficops@sandiego.gov with the location and the date you submitted.

For other City problems, see our guide to reporting a problem to the City of San Diego.