Clearly, if you want to calm down traffic in a town like Carmel, the easiest way would be to just lower the speed limit. However, the state of California has rules about setting speed limits and using radar devices to issue citations. In order to make a change in the speed limit or use radar devices to track speeds the city must hire a traffic engineer to do a traffic management study. After reviewing the studies that have been conducted over the past 10 years in Carmel-by-the-Sea the process appears to be as follows.
- Residents comment about a problem in their neighborhood and request a change in speed limit.
- The city hires a consultant.
- The consultant is paid to do a traffic study where they pick a time of day, usually just after lunch, where they log the speed of all cars passing that location on a spreadsheet, and the direction of each car (in the cases we reviewed North or South).
- On the spreadsheet, it is determined the speed which 85% of all cars were below. That speed, rounded up or down to the nearest 5 mph, is, according to state requirements, the “correct” speed for that stretch of road.
- Then, other factors, including the density of houses, how close those houses are to the street, the width and curvature of the road, and other potentially mitigating issues are evaluated to adjust the speed, usually downward.
On the last study conducted on San Carlos between 8th and 13th, the raw recommended speed was 29 mph. So, while many people believe the speed limit should be 20 mph, the state would round the speed up to 30 mph as being the correct speed for that stretch of San Carlos. But, due to mitigating factors, including that there are houses nearby, there are multiple intersections without crosswalks, etc. it was recommended that the speed limit remain at 25 mph.
So, that’s what we are up against when you want to change the speed limits in our city. Turn cars loose on that road without any policing and see what speed 85% of the cars like to drive at. Rationality and common sense be damned. The fact that we are supposed to be in a peaceful, quiet forest is pushed aside and the speed is based on that consultant’s report taken at that time of day.
The fallacy of this approach is pretty clear. The consultants always seem to pick the same time of day…a time that is probably convenient for them to drive down from San Jose and have lunch, do the study, and get home in time for dinner. That means the studies will be done about 1:00 pm. More speeding is done at 7:00-8:00 am and 4:00-6:00 when people are in a hurry to get to work and contractors and coming in and out of town. My studies, averaged over all those time periods found the 85%’ile to be well above 30, not 29.
But, let’s say that the study came out at 35. You’d think that would be fodder to get the speed limit lowered. But no, that would almost guarantee that the speed limit would be INCREASED to 30 before mitigating factors are considered. Yes, that’s the world we are operating in and the challenge our police department and traffic committee must deal with. In other words, “be careful what you ask for” because it could backfire and make the perceived problem even worse!
That’s why we at Carmel Cares are looking at and executing other solutions and are looking for your ideas.
