Torrance Ups Speed Limit on Western

Torrance City Council members Tuesday approved raising the speed limit on Western Avenue from 40 m.p.h. to 45 m.p.h. but asked the Traffic Commission to hold hearings on proposed speed limits for other major city streets.

The proposed speed limits are based on a state law requiring cities that wish to conduct radar enforcement on their major streets--generally those wider than 40 feet--to survey them every five years to determine current traffic conditions and prevailing speeds.

To allow radar enforcement, speed limits for those streets must be established within five miles per hour of the speed set by 85% of the drivers.

City officials may set a lower speed limit only if a significant consideration, such as a blind curve or an adjacent school, warrants it.

Council members, concerned that their most recent surveys called for increasing speed limits on most of the city’s major arteries, decided to postpone action to allow public comment.

Most of Torrance’s radar surveys have expired, some as long as two years ago. As a result, police officers have been barred from using radar on most of the city’s busiest streets.

Although Torrance hired a consultant to conduct new surveys two years ago, city officials set them aside when they discovered that speed limits would have to be raised on a number of streets.

On Tuesday, the council certified current speed limits on Madrona Avenue between Sepulveda Boulevard and Carson Street, on Prairie Avenue between Artesia and Redondo Beach boulevards and on Hawthorne Boulevard south of Newton Street.

Police officials also asked the City Council to increase speed limits on 190th Street, Crenshaw Boulevard and Madrona, Prairie and Van Ness avenues.

Council members refused.

Councilwoman Dee Hardison called it the start of “a vicious cycle. . . . Are you going to be back in five years asking for 50 miles an hour on some of these streets?”

Lt. Dennis Frandsen, head of the Police Department’s traffic division, said he did not believe that would happen.

“The philosophy is to allow people to vote on what speed limits should be set by measuring how fast they are going now,” he said. “They’re currently ignoring the speed limits that are on these streets . . . and we can’t use radar to enforce those limits.”

Increased speed limits to be considered at a later time would involve, among others, Anza and Arlington avenues, Calle Mayor, Carson Street, Pacific Coast Highway, and Palos Verdes, Sepulveda and Torrance boulevards--many of which are lined by homes.

Councilmen Bill Applegate and Dan Walker criticized their colleagues for failing to take the action necessary to let police use radar.

“Sending it off to the traffic commission is not getting the job done,” Walker said. “Nobody likes to have those speed limits raised, and no one wants to have them raised . . . but state law is preempting us from acting in a different manner. . . . I’d just as soon have the enforcement now and the conversation later.”

Among the proposed increases in speed limits sent back to the traffic commission were:

* On 190th Street, from 35 m.p.h. west of Anza and 40 miles east of Anza to 45 m.p.h. within city limits.

* On Madrona Avenue, from 30 m.p.h. between Carson Street and Torrance Boulevard to 40 m.p.h., and to 45 m.p.h. between Torrance and Del Amo boulevards.

* On Prairie Avenue, to 45 m.p.h. between Del Amo and Artesia boulevards. The limit would remain at 35 m.p.h. between Artesia and Redondo Beach boulevards.

* On Van Ness Avenue, to 40 m.p.h. within city limits.

* On Crenshaw Boulevard, to 45 m.p.h. north of Carson Street.