CAMARILLO : Council OKs 5 New Speed Limit Postings

In an effort to have speed limits reflect the pace at which motorists actually drive, the Camarillo City Council has approved posting new limits on five city streets.

The council voted unanimously Wednesday to increase the speed limit on one street, reduce it on another and set limits for three streets that have no posted speeds.

The changes, which are expected to take effect within two weeks, reflect the speeds clocked on the five streets in a citywide traffic survey earlier this year, Traffic Engineer Tom Fox told the council.

City officials said they need to set reasonable speed limits so that speeding tickets issued in the city will hold up in traffic court.

Traffic judges often dismiss speeding tickets if they believe posted speed limits are not justifiable, Councilman David Smith said.

The council approved lowering the speed limit from 45 to 40 m.p.h. on Mission Oaks Boulevard between Upland and Oak Canyon Road, where the city’s traffic study found that 85% of motorists drive at 41 m.p.h. or slower.

The council approved increasing the limit on Ponderosa Drive between Arneill Road and Temple Avenue from 35 to 40 m.p.h. The average speed of traffic on the street is 40 m.p.h., with more than 90% of motorists exceeding the posted 35 m.p.h. limit, according to the traffic study.

Fox said the city had set the speed limit at 35 m.p.h. because of a spate of collisions at a nearby shopping center driveway. But this driveway has recently been improved, he said.

Speed limits will, for the first time, be posted on Verdugo Way between Camino Carillo and Santa Rosa Road, on Earl Joseph Drive between Bradford Avenue and Ponderosa Drive, and on Ponderosa Drive from Bradford Avenue to Earl Joseph Drive. On all three streets, the posted speed will be 35 m.p.h.