While this is a common problem encountered by every city, most residents are not informed about its causes or the available solutions.

WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF THIS SPEEDING EPIDEMIC?

Changes in traffic flow do not occur overnight or without a reason. Our society and, more specifically, our community are dominated by a car culture that has risen out of the demands of our increasingly busy lives. In order to meet these demands, we often drive faster from our homes to our destinations and vice versa. For this reason, most residential street traffic, and therefore speeding, is caused by the neighborhood residents themselves.

COMMONLY REQUESTED METHODS TO CONTROL SPEEDS

SPEED HUMPS
Speed humps have been installed by many California cities, but they are not accepted by the State of California as a speed-control device. Speed humps may also cause disruption to the movement of emergency vehicles, i.e. police cars, fire trucks and ambulances. Many jurisdictions have had to issue moratoriums on speed hump installations as a result of this negative impact.

In collaboration with the Old Orchard neighborhoods, the City conducted a two-year pilot program to assess the effectiveness of speed humps as a traffic–calming tool. The pilot program carefully evaluated the impact of speed humps on traffic speeds and other related elements in these neighborhoods. At the conclusion of the study, it was determined that speed humps were not a desirable speed control method for our community.

STOP SIGNS
Stop signs are not successful in slowing traffic, except near the stop sign. Drivers try to make up for the delay by speeding up between stop-controlled intersections. This quick acceleration increases noise and air pollution near the signs. Stop signs are only appropriate for establishing right-of-way. The City installs a stop sign at an intersection only after a careful engineering evaluation of the existing conditions demonstrates the installation is appropriate.

"SLOW - CHILDREN AT PLAY" SIGNS
"Slow - Children at Play" signs are often requested on residential streets. These signs tend to deliver a wrong message to parents and children who believe that the signs provide an added degree of protection from motorists, which the signs do not and cannot provide. Children should not be encouraged to play within the roadway. Although these signs used to be common on public streets, they are no longer approved by the State of California or the Federal Highway Administration as official traffic control devices.

LOWERING THE SPEED LIMIT
Citizens often request that the speed limit be lowered in an effort to slow traffic. Studies have shown no significant change in prevailing speeds when the speed limit is changed. Drivers continue to travel at speeds they feel are safe despite the posted limit.

Unrealistic speed limits can also present a safety hazard. Some drivers obey the lower speed limit, while others feel it's unreasonable and simply ignore it. This disrupts the uniform traffic flow and increases crash potential between the faster and slower traffic.

State law establishes certain speed limits based on research and studies of roadway conditions, accident records, and a sampling of the prevailing speed of traffic. The speed limit is normally set near the speed that 85 percent of the surveyed vehicles do not exceed. Other speed limits include the 25-mph speed limit in business and residential districts, the 25-mph limit in school zones when children are present, and the 15-mph limit in alleys.

The City of Santa Clarita implements the following actions to respond to speeding complaints:

• EDUCATION

The City has implemented the use of a PARET trailer to remind motorists of their responsibility to drive safely. The trailer displays the speed at which a vehicle is traveling in contrast with the speed limit for the zone. These units have been effective in many areas.

• ENFORCEMENT

The City works with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department to provide selective speed enforcement on residential streets. However, limited resources prevent the Sheriff's Department from targeting many streets at one time.

NEIGHBORHOOD INVOLVEMENT

In most cases, the majority of speeders on residential streets are residents in the neighborhood. Ultimately, it is the residents who can do the most to reduce speeding in their area. Conversations and discussions about the problem in neighborhood meetings and circulating newsletters are the best methods of spreading awareness of speeding and other neighborhood issues.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, REQUESTS, OR SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING TRAFFIC SAFETY MATTERS, PLEASE CONTACT THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING DIVISION AT (661)286-4061.