Turlock drivers could speed up

TURLOCK -- Drivers could be moving a little faster soon if new speed limits are approved by the City Council.

A report on a traffic survey presented before the council Tuesday night recommended raising and posting new speeds on some streets.

If approved, the speed limit for East Taylor Road from Geer Road to Berkeley Avenue would be increased from 45 to 55 mph.

In addition, the speed on Fransil Lane from Fulkerth Road to West Main Street would be dropped to 50 mph.

New speed limit signs for 55 mph would be posted on recently annexed parts of the city including West Main Street and Washington and Fulkerth roads. The speed limit does not change, but it was not posted before.

Michael Pitcock, director of development services for the city, said the changes are based on traffic surveys done in September. The speeds then are set by how fast 85 percent of the drivers are going in the given area. The surveys can be done at any time but must be renewed every five years.

Pitcock said the survey for Fransil came back at 55 mph, but he has the ability to lower the speed by 5 mph and chose to do so because of safety concerns.

Council members had questions about increased traffic on some of the roads, including Taylor and whether the speeds would be safe.

Councilman Bill DeHart Jr. asked how a two-lane street such as Taylor would be increased to 55 mph when the four-lane Christoffersen Parkway is still at 45 mph.

Pitcock said if limits are set above or below the 85th percentile from the traffic survey, law enforcement is not allowed to use radar guns to monitor speeding.

Police Chief Robert Jackson said the department will coordinate with the city to monitor the new speeds to see if adjustments need to be made.

"We have a traffic plan and focus our enforcement efforts on the most serious intersections of collision. It's collision-based. We're not looking for revenue," he said.

Jackson encouraged the public to contact the police or city about problematic or dangerous intersections.

The board will vote on the new speeds at its next board meeting, Oct. 23. If approved, the limits could go into effect in 30 days.

Bee staff writer Marijke Rowland can be reached at mrowland@modbee.com or (209) 578-2284. Follow her on Twitter @TurlockNow.