New Speed Limits Raising Concern Amongst Residents

The City Council in favor of a five-mile uptick in speed limits on a few heavily-traveled throughfares and a couple side streets. Public works has installed the new signs over the last two weeks — and now, the faster speeds are generating some concern amongst residents.

Speed limits were increased on:

• Commerce Boulevard between Golf Course Drive and Avram Avenue increased from 35 mph to 40 mph.
• Commerce between Avram and Southwest Boulevard increased from 30 to 35 mph.
• Golf Course Drive from Commerce to Country Club from 35 to 40 mph.
• Labath from Business Park to Rohnert Park Expressway increased from 30 to 35 mph.
• Redwood Drive between Willis and City Limits South from 35 mph to 40 mph.

In response to a and a post on Facebook, citizens said they were concerned about high speeds of traffic on Country Club, Rohnert Park Expressway and Southwest.

"The speed limit at 45 mph on RP Expressway from Country Club to Snyder Lane is too excessive!" one reader wrote.

"I most certainly agree with you!" another wrote in response. "Too many signals, blind curves, zany lane changers sans directionals. Someone will get hurt assuredly. In addition, certain drivers in those zones drive ten miles per hour faster! That speed limit change will guarantee DEATH."

One wrote that "they should rename the Rohnert Park Expressway to the Rohnert Park Raceway!!! Enough said."

"The increased speed limits are based on speed surveys conducted by the city in September 2011 and represent the average speed drivers travel along these roads," the blog stated. "The new speed limits will allow public safety to enforce the speed limit and improve vehicle and pedestrian safety along the roadways."

Others, however, were excited about the increased speed on Country Club Drive to 30 mph, from 25.

City explains how speed limits are set:

Lt. Jeff Taylor clarified in November that public safety doesn't set speed limits, officers merely enforce them. It is up to traffic engineers to look at the speed drivers are traveling, and set limits based on how fast 85 percent of drivers are going.

"In order to have speed limits that we can enforce, there's a system that we have to go through — an engineering and traffic survey," Taylor said.

Deputy City Engineer Patrick Barnes said it may seem counterintuitive that raising speed limits can improve public safety, but traffic engineers have studied local roads through Rohnert Park, and found that there are less collisions and safety actually improves.

"There's less passing, less crossing and less rear end collisions," Barnes said.

Barnes explained that there three types of drivers: people who go the exact speed limit, those who travel the speed that feel natural in the traffic flow and speeders.

"The law requires that we do speed surveys," he said.

That means engineers stand on streets, measure speeds with a radar gun of between 100 and 160 drivers, and set limits based the speeds that 85 percent of drivers are going.

"We take the 85th percentile, and round to the nearest five miles per hour," Barnes explained. "This is dictated by the law."

Vice Mayor Pam Stafford said the City Council in the past has been concerned about raising speed limits on Country Club Drive, and Mayor Jake Mackenzie said whatever limits are set at, signs should be posted so they're visible.