SAN FERNANDO : New Speed Limits in Place for 6 Streets

Speed limits will change on six streets in San Fernando today, officials said.

The new speed limits are the result of a state motor vehicle code requirement mandating a five-year review of all speed limits in the city, said City Engineer Jerry Wedding.

Overall, speed limits increased 5 m.p.h. on four roads, and decreased 5 m.p.h. on two streets.

The new speed zones are located at:

* Brand Boulevard between Glenoaks Boulevard and 4th Street; speed limit lowered from 30 to 25 m.p.h.

* Orange Grove Avenue from the north city boundary to 1st Street; speed limit lowered from 30 to 25 m.p.h.

* All of 5th Street; speed limit raised from 25 to 30 m.p.h.

* All of Glenoaks Boulevard (inside San Fernando), speed limit raised from 35 to 40 m.p.h.

* San Fernando Road between Chatsworth Drive and the east city boundary, speed limit raised from 25 to 30 m.p.h.

* Maclay Avenue from Truman Street to the north city boundary; speed limit raised from 30 to 35 m.p.h.

City public works officials and officers from the San Fernando Police Department studied possible speed changes together, and then made recommendations to the City Council on which streets to change, Wedding said.

Using an unmarked car, city engineers conducted a speed survey to record the speeds of 100 cars on streets under consideration for speed changes.

“If more than 85% of the drivers are doing less than the speed posted, we would lower the limit 5 m.p.h.,” Wedding said. “The same would be true if 85% of the cars were clocked going over the limit--we’d raise the limit by 5 miles.”

But some exceptions were made, in school zones and other problem areas, such as Arroyo Avenue near Foothill Boulevard, Wedding said.

“It’s an industrial area, and our speed survey showed the limit there could be higher,” Wedding said. “But the Police Department noted that there had been a lot of accidents there, so we decided not to change the limit.”

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Speed Limit Changes The following San Fernando speed limit changes will go into effect today: 1. Brand Blvd.: between Glenoaks Blvd. and 4th St. Lowered from 30 m.p.h. to 25 m.p.h. 2. 5th St.: within city limits Raised from 25 m.p.h. to 30 m.p.h. 3. Glenoaks Blvd.: within city limits Raised from 35 m.p.h. to 40 m.p.h. 4. Maclay Ave.: between Truman St. and the north city limit Raised from 30 m.p.h. to 35 m.p.h. 5. Orange Grove Ave.: between lst st. and the north city limit Lowered from 30 m.p.h. to 25 m.p.h. 6. San Fernando Road: between Chatsworth Drive and east city limit Raised from 25 m.p.h. to 30 m.p.h. Sources: San Fernando Public Works Dept.