Earlier this week, the County Board of Supervisors approved a 35 mph speed limit to
the stretch of Lincoln Ave. between the Pasadena city limits and Loma Alta Dr.
The reason, they said in a press release, was to "enhance public safety." But the speed limit is 30 mph now. Where's the safety?
The answer is it now means greater enforcement of speed laws by the California Highway Patrol, according to a spokesman for the Department of Public Works.
According to Sarkis Oganesyan, a civil engineering assistant and the department's division of traffic and lighting, the plain fact is that most drivers -- over 85 percent -- already travel at around 35 mph, despite the signs, according to a recent traffic survey.
And, according to a new state law, speed limits need to be set according to the reality of the situation -- which means 35 mph on Lincoln.
Oganesyan said that several traffic citations for speeding over 30 mph were tossed out of court because most drivers actually travel faster than that on Lincoln -- basically rendering the 30 mph limit unenforceable.
the stretch of Lincoln Ave. between the Pasadena city limits and Loma Alta Dr.
The reason, they said in a press release, was to "enhance public safety." But the speed limit is 30 mph now. Where's the safety?
The answer is it now means greater enforcement of speed laws by the California Highway Patrol, according to a spokesman for the Department of Public Works.
According to Sarkis Oganesyan, a civil engineering assistant and the department's division of traffic and lighting, the plain fact is that most drivers -- over 85 percent -- already travel at around 35 mph, despite the signs, according to a recent traffic survey.
And, according to a new state law, speed limits need to be set according to the reality of the situation -- which means 35 mph on Lincoln.
Oganesyan said that several traffic citations for speeding over 30 mph were tossed out of court because most drivers actually travel faster than that on Lincoln -- basically rendering the 30 mph limit unenforceable.
With the 35 mph limit, there will also be an increase in CHP presence in to cite speeders and prevent the limit from going up even more. And, with the new speed limit reflecting the facts on the ground, speeding tickets stand a better chance of holding up in court.
UPDATE: Star News, front page, above the fold? Must be a slow news day!
