Not in these neighborhoods

Tim Willert

MONTROSE -- In Andrea Humberger’s neighborhood, children walk and ride

their bikes to and from nearby Fremont Elementary School.

In that same neighborhood, drivers routinely speed along nearby La

Crescenta Avenue, between Verdugo Road and Shirleyjean Street.

“We just witness all kinds of things,” Humberger said Thursday.

“People backing out of their driveways and getting hit by cars. Cars

going too fast are hitting parked cars.”

Humberger, who is president of the Montrose/Verdugo City/Sparr Heights

Neighborhood Assn., disagrees with the City Council’s decision Tuesday to

raise speed limits by 5 mph on more than two dozen city streets,

including some in a section of La Crescenta.

“It’s a residential street -- that was the point we were trying to

make,” said Humberger, who lobbied the council on behalf of residents.

“We were against it because of safety concerns.”

The council, by a 3-2 vote, adopted an ordinance that will raise speed

limits by 5 mph on 25 city streets that serve commercial, office and

retail areas.

As a result, the speed limit on La Crescenta, from Verdugo all the way

to Montrose Avenue, will be raised from 35 to 40 mph.

According to the Glendale Police Department, which favors the

increases, existing speed limits on dozens of city streets are

unrealistic and unenforceable when challenged in court.

The council, meanwhile, has decided to take a further look at 35

additional residential streets to determine if those speed limits should

be increased.

Rain Gibney lives with her husband and two children on Santa Carlotta

between Boston and Lauderdale avenues, a street still under

consideration.

City traffic engineers have proposed a 10-mph increase on Gibney’s

street -- considered a minor arterial -- from 25 to 35 mph.

“People are already going 10 mph over the speed limit,” she said.

“Instead of going of going 35, they’ll be going 45.”

Gibney said pedestrians -- as well as speeding cars -- are commonplace

on Santa Carlotta.

“I have two young kids who mostly walk on the sidewalk, but you never

know,” she said. “A lot of people like to walk on the street,

particularly moms with strollers.”