The speed limit on McCloskey Road between Fairview and San
Felipe roads will soon jump to 55 mph from 40 mph after a speed
survey determined the hike would facilitate traffic movement.
The San Benito County Board of Supervisors approved the hike,
which will go into effect 30 days from the passage of an ordinance,
after the public works department conducted a once-every-five-years
survey to validate the posted speed limit. Such surveys are
required on collector roads with speed limits under 55 mph.
Based on the speed survey and an engineering analysis, public
works staff recommended that the county raise the speed limit to
the maximum allowed for this sort of road.
The speed limit on McCloskey Road between Fairview and San Felipe roads will soon jump to 55 mph from 40 mph after a speed survey determined the hike would facilitate traffic movement.
The San Benito County Board of Supervisors approved the hike, which will go into effect 30 days from the passage of an ordinance, after the public works department conducted a once-every-five-years survey to validate the posted speed limit. Such surveys are required on collector roads with speed limits under 55 mph.
Based on the speed survey and an engineering analysis, public works staff recommended that the county raise the speed limit to the maximum allowed for this sort of road.
A traffic data study on McCloskey done between April 26 and May 3 determined that 85 percent of vehicles traveled at an average speed of 63 mph.
“This indicates that the current 40 mph speed limit is not justified and cannot be legally enforced,” Public Works Administrator Steve Wittry said in a report to the supervisors. The new 55 mph speed limit is “determined to be safe and reasonable for orderly movement of traffic and will allow speed enforcement to occur,” he added.
Supervisor Anthony Botelho supported the speed limit change after noting that a number of rural roads – particularly in his district, which encompasses the San Juan Valley – have posted speed limits that he says are “too high” for the safety of road workers, residents and others who use the roads. He also called for more enforcement of the speed limits.
“The sheriff’s office doesn’t write that many speeding tickets, and for the CHP it’s a rare occasion when they are out there on rural roads,” Botelho said. “I’d like to see them more on county roads.”
Wittry noted that the public works department is doing a test project in Botelho’s district in which 55 mph speed limit signs have been removed to see if motorists will drive slower than when they don’t feel compelled to hit a certain speed noted on a sign.
Often, he noted, “if they see the number 55, that’s the speed that they’ll go.”
Supervisor Margie Barrios said she supports the speed limit change on McCloskey because she has gotten calls from constituents confused about how the current speed limits on the road switch from 40 to 50 when the road crosses into the Hollister city limits.
“This will ease some of that confusion,” Wittry said, adding that his department is in the process of checking when speed limits on other county roads were last evaluated to determine when and where to conduct more speed surveys and consider adjustments.
Public works staff will install the required speed limit signage on McCloskey at an estimated cost of $2,000.
