Signal Tribune Newspaper

By Nick Diamantides
Staff Writer

Motorists driving through some Signal Hill streets will be able to move a little faster when a new city ordinance goes into effect. During its March 2 meeting, the Signal Hill City Council unanimously passed a law increasing the speed limit on 15 stretches of roadway and decreasing the limit on two.
Public Works director Barbara Munoz told the council that her department, with the help of consultant Bill Zimmerman, recently completed the city’s 2010 engineering and study for speed limits as mandated by state law. Munoz noted that such studies are required every five years. She added that in compliance with state guidelines, the recently completed study determined that the changes to the speed limits were necessary.
“The study is also required by the California Vehicle Code to enable the police department to enforce the posted speed limits through the use of speed detection devices such as radar,” said Munoz. “Once approved by the city council, the study is filed with the Long Beach Traffic Court and used to justify the city’s speed limits whenever citations are challenged.”
Zimmerman, who has served as the city’s traffic engineer under contract since 2004, began his presentation with a brief history of speed limit laws in the United States. He also explained that by state law the study he conducted had to determine the 85th percentile speed on specific roadways. That is the speed at which 85 percent of the motorists drive on a given road unaffected by slower traffic or poor weather.
“This [85th percentile] speed indicates the speed that most motorists consider safe and reasonable under ideal conditions,” Zimmerman said, before describing some of the other state-mandated criteria for determining proper speed limits on specific roadways.
“A total of 58 roadway segments were surveyed,” he noted. “The speed limits for 41 roadway segments will remain the same.”
The council approved Zimmerman’s study and adopted the ordinance that changed the speed limits on 17 sections of roadway. Fifteen of those increased speed limits by five miles per hour and two reduced limits by five miles per hour. A list of affected streets is available in the Public Works Department. The ordinance will go into effect in April and speed limit signs will be changed accordingly.
In another action, the council gave recognition to the participants and sponsors of the yearlong Mayor’s Cleanup Campaign. During the campaign, the city conducted four events to remove litter and abate weeds in various sections of the city. “My whole objective was to get participation from the community and clean up the city,” said Mayor Ellen Ward. She added that she hopes the volunteers who participated in the events will continue picking up and properly disposing litter whenever they see it.
In a separate action, the council also unanimously voted to authorize Ward, two members of the community services department, and one park commissioner to attend the California Park and Recreation Society Conference in Palm Springs from March 9-12.
The next meeting of the city council is scheduled for 7pm on March 15 in the council chamber of Signal Hill City Hall.