Supervisors voted Tuesday to lower the speed limits on three
rural county roads.
Hollister – Supervisors voted Tuesday to lower the speed limits on three rural county roads.
Starting July 14 the speed limits on Anzar, Olympia and Duncan roads will drop from 55 mph to 50.
The decision came after complaints from residents and safety concerns voiced by supervisors about people driving to fast on rural roads prompted the public works department to conduct traffic surveys on the three roads last month.
The five mile-per-hour decrease is, “appropriate, responsible and safe,” said Arman Nazemi, assistant public works director.
According to the results of the traffic surveys, a lack of shoulder and recovery zones, utility poles too closely lining the edge of the roads and increased commuter traffic make driving in excess of 50 mph on the roads dangerous.
Some supervisors said during the board’s June 7 meeting that they wanted to push the speed limits on the roads down even further.
Many commuters use the rural roads to avoid traffic congestion on Highway
156, causing concern among residents and supervisors who think that motorists are driving too fast.
According to state traffic regulations, speed limits can only be set at 5 mph below critical speed, which is defined as the speed at which 85 percent of vehicles using a road are traveling, Nazemi said. But, he said, if the speed limit on those roads was decreased too much, most of the people that use the roads would exceed the speed limit.
Now that supervisors have voted to decrease the speed limits on Anzar, Olympia and Duncan roads, motorists who drive faster than 55 mph on the roads after the 50 mph signs are posted next month will face fines issued by the California Highway Patrol.
While speed limits in the county are going down, county residents may soon face higher fees for county services.
Supervisors also voted Tuesday to request bids for a countywide fee study.
Many of the fees that the county charges residents for services – such as planning department and agricultural commission services – have not been increased for more than a decade, according to acting Chief Administrative Officer Susan Lyons.
The study will ultimately be used by the county to increase county fees and create a master fee schedule that will be used for annual fee increases.
Bids for the fee study are due on July 15 at 10am, Lyons said.
Supervisors, eager to pull more revenue into county coffers, approved the request for proposal unanimously.
“We really need to move forward on this,” Supervisor Anthony Botelho said.
Luke Roney covers politics and agriculture for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at lr****@fr***********.com
