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Speed limits are being raised by 5 miles an hour on 11 major streets in Pleasanton after a traffic survey showed that motorists are driving faster on those streets anyhow.
Mike Tassano, city traffic engineer, told the City Council on Tuesday that state law requires speed surveys at least once a year to make sure posted speeds conform to the speeds that 85% of motorists are driving. Certain exceptions are allowed based on driveways, pedestrian traffic and other considerations, he said. Otherwise, speeds and posted speed limits must conform.
Police Chief David Spiller said that speed limits that are not in conformance with the 85% rule cannot be enforced by police.
First Street, between Ray Street/Vineyard Avenue and where First turns into Stanley Boulevard, is posted at 35 mph but motorists are driving it at 40. The survey found the same on Gibraltar Drive between Hopyard and Stoneridge. As a result, speed limits on both sections of those streets will be increased to 40 mph. Johnson Drive between Stoneridge and Commerce Circle also will now be posted at 40 mph.
The basis for the 85 percentile comes from the California Vehicle Code’s “Basic Speed Law.” Traffic engineers use the 85 percentile speed as a benchmark for what the majority of drivers feel is a safe speed. Speed limits set too low when most drivers are traveling faster can pose safety hazards, Tassano said.
Pleasanton streets now posted at 30 mph that will be raised to 35 mph are Bernal Avenue between Vineyard and Nevada; Chabot Drive between Owens and Inglewood; Dublin Canyon Road between Laurel Creek Drive and Foothill; Inglewood Drive between Hopyard and Willow; and Laguna Creek Lane between Valley and West Lagoon Road.
Pleasanton streets now posted at 25 mph that will now be raised to 30 mph are Deodar Way between Foothill and Stoneridge Mall Road; and Valley Avenue between Case Avenue and Sunol Boulevard.
Speed limits on Willow Road now posted at 40 mph will be reduced to 35 mph, and Owens Drive between Chabot Canal and Rosewood will be cut from 45 to 40 mph.
Streets where speed limits are being reduced by 5 mph include portions of Johnson Drive, Pleasanton Avenue and Springdale Avenue.
The City Council approved the speed limit changes 3-1 with Councilman Jerry Pentin opposed, saying the higher speeds on some streets could endanger bicyclists
Let I get this straight – our great state mandates that if 85% of motorists collectively decide to be not-so-civily disobedient and ignore posted speed limits – then we change the law to accomodate them? Does this apply to highways – which by this logic should be about 90 mph by now? Does this apply to 25 mph residential streets?
Doesn’t sound like a very good law – we have people zooming down Valley Trails posing risk to pedestrians, cyclists and people backing out of driveways, but I guess if this is the norm – then we’ll just have to up the speed limit.
How about raising the speed liimit on Black from Valley to Hopyard from 25 to 30? Even the police cruise that stretch at 30-35 miles per hour. It is a “feeder” street, by definition, not simply a “residential” speed.
As far as danger to bicyclists, my experience has been it is the bicyclists in Pleasanton, who are a danger to the drivers….since they do NOT seem to feel they have any obligation to observe traffic laws, and speed through red lights, squeeze between lanes of cars at stop lights, etc.
Jeb – in paragraph 2 it should be “exceptions”, not “expectations”.
This is good for circulation…making up for time lost because of front cars at intersections who are texting when lights change. Eyes should be up, not down, and hands on the wheel…you are not the only car on the road.
It is now okay to speed on Black Ave. I’m sure the residents will appreciate that!!
As a cyclist I’m thrilled that I can now adjust laws to suit my habits and circumstance – 100% of cyclists know that laws designed for cars rarely account for pedestrians or people on bikes. As for raising the speed limits – good to see Pleasanton bucking the trend of making communities safer for everyone outside of cars!
How about lowering the speed limit on W. Angela (between main and P-town Avenue to 15 mph. Street is too narrow for 25 with cars and trucks parked on both sides of the street and several hidden driveways. Then you have the speed racers that take the ACE train-going 35 down the street not giving any consideration for the people living on the street. maybe speed humps?
I salute this moment of sanity.
Mike
How a bought cyclist learn to stop for stop signs. If you wouldn’t run it in a car…why run it on a bike?
Well, it doesn’t really matter how fast we go becaue we will never drive as fast as the police. I am amazed that they cruise along at about 10 miles over the speed limit and then turn around and ticket anyone that they decide to stop for doing the same thing. Isn’t that
about the same thing as calling the kettle black? Why can’t they set a good example by obeying the speed limit? Just a thought.
The reason the state inacted this law is to inhibit cities, towns and counties using abusive speedtraps. They would place artifically low speed limits on a section of street or road to entrap unwary drivers, then sock thim with a high fine for the primary purpose of raising funds for their treasuries.
Cities already fudge complying with this law by having the cops rigorously enforce the speed law on a street for a week before they make their required speed measurement (the law prohibits them from enforcing a speed limit during the days they are taking the measurement). I have seen Pleasanton due this time and again (Black Avenue and Del Valle Parkway are two examples).
This is a very good law. It keeps our cities from acting like the gomers in parts of the U. S. that really prey on drivers for funding.
Truth,
From what I’ve seen, most people in cars do NOT stop at the stop signs.
Speaking of stop signs and fast drivers try crossing at St Mary’s and main st on foot, what a rush, like running the gauntlet!!!! Nobody stops at that 3 way , especially at commute time with all the cut trough traffic from 1st st. — DON’T raise the speed limits, it’s still a small town layout , SLOW DOWN
Helen, Black between (I assume you mean Santa Rita) and Hopyard hosts too much pedestrian traffic to justify a speed-limit increase. Walnut Grove Elementary, Harvest Park Middle School, Quarry Lane Preschool, and the aquatic center are all on that stretch of road.
Helen, there is also Alisal School, Harvest Park Middle, Amador High, two parks a church, post office and the Ginger Bread Pre School on or within a block of Black. So no, I and others of the Black Ave neighborhood would strongly disagree with your assessment.
Yes, I am for faster speeds and wish that this could apply to the freeways.
As far as the cyclists, well, there are too many of them; are on roads they should not be traveling on; and they are inconsiderate of how many cars they are backing up. Heck if a slow driving vehicle has 7 cars backed up behind it usually pulls over and lets the faster traffic pass. But cyclists? Oh no, they just pedal away blocking traffic. They create so much road rage, that when I hear a cyclist has been hit by a car. Well, I certainly am not sorry for them.
The idea of letting all these bikes on the road was to encourage people to ride their bike to work and get some cars off the road. Well tell me just how many of these people with their little outfits are really driving to and from work? So they do not belong on the road! Let them go get their exercise elsewhere – not where people are driving.
I agree that this is a Very Good Law! Without it drivers would be at the constant mercy of speed traps. Pleasanton does do everything they can to get around it and PPD cops ticket speed traps.
If the sign is not the proper speed it is merely a sign saying please drive this speed, not a legally enforceable speed limit. Cops know that and cherry-pick motorists, because the burden is on the motorist to challenge it in court.
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