By: Joe Naiman
For The Alpine Sun
The county’s Traffic Advisory Committee has recommended that the 40 mph speed limit on Victoria Drive be recertified for radar enforcement.
The January 26 TAC recommendation will go to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors for ratification. The county supervisors are scheduled to consider the speed limit and radar enforcement March 28.
By: Joe Naiman
For The Alpine Sun
The county’s Traffic Advisory Committee has recommended that the 40 mph speed limit on Victoria Drive be recertified for radar enforcement.
The January 26 TAC recommendation will go to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors for ratification. The county supervisors are scheduled to consider the speed limit and radar enforcement March 28.
The speed limit covers the entire 3.01 miles of Victoria Drive including the portions sometimes called West Victoria Drive and East Victoria Drive. The road is classified as a Light Collector on the mobility element of the county’s general plan and ranges in width from 21 to 64 feet. Edge striping exists along both sides of the roadway.
On June 22, 2017, a traffic survey was taken north of Victoria Park Terrace. The 1,375 northbound and 1,347 southbound vehicles provided a two-way average daily volume of 2,722 vehicles. The previous traffic survey taken in January 2011 resulted in an average two-way volume of 3,320 vehicles.
During the 60-month period from September 1, 2012, to August 31, 2017, 30 collisions were reported on Victoria Drive including ten which involved injury. The accident rate of 2.01 per million vehicle miles compares favorably with the statewide average of 2.39 collisions per million vehicle miles for similar suburban two-lane roads with speed limits under 45 mph.
In order for a speed limit to be enforceable by radar, a speed survey must show that the speed limit is within an adjacent 5 mph increment to the 85th percentile speed. Periodic recertification, including a supporting speed survey, is required for continued radar enforcement and the county’s Department of Public Works or a DPW contractor typically conducts speed surveys every seven years. The speed limit may be rounded either up or down from the 85th percentile speed. The speed limit may also be rounded down an additional 5 mph if findings are made that the road has conditions which would not be apparent to a motorist unfamiliar with the road.
In 2011 a speed survey taken 230 feet north of Victoria Park Terrace indicated an 85th percentile speed of 45.2 mph with 65.2 percent of the drivers within a 10 mph pace of 33-42 mph and a speed survey 1,210 feet west of Mile Post 2 resulted in an 85th percentile of 40.3 mph with 74.7 percent of drivers in a 30-39 mph pace. Updated surveys were conducted in May 2017 with the survey 230 feet north of Victoria Park Terrace taken May 24 and the survey 1,210 feet west of Mile Post 2 clocking May 31 vehicles. Both surveys measured vehicles from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The survey 230 feet north of Victoria Park Terrace consisted of 203 vehicles which had an 85th percentile speed of 42.9 mph with 86.0 percent of the motorists within a 35-44 mph pace. The most common speed was 40 mph with 32 vehicles. The survey 1,210 feet west of Mile Post 2 had an 85th percentile speed of 41.7 mph for the 135 vehicles with 74.7 percent of those within a 30-39 mph pace and 18 drivers making 40 mph the most common speed.
