Is it just me or are more and more people driving over the 25mph speed limit on our narrow roads? I’m talking specifically about Montara (although I know it’s a wide spread problem). Most of our roads in Montara have no side walks, yet a large number of cars and trucks seem to think that it’s OK not to share the road with pedestrians, and drive by you with only inches to spare. I think that in our rural communities a 15mph speed limit would work fine, what’s the rush? I know the Sheriff has stepped up patrols, I wonder how many tickets they have handed out?

Hi Kevin

Bothered? Absolutely!  I cannot believe how fast people drive around here.

I’d like to see speed bumps installed on every block of every residential street from Miramar to Montara.  This will never happen, of course, but it would be nice.

Hey Craig,

I tried to get speed bumps for our street, guess what? We didn’t ‘qualify’, not enough traffic volume (it has to be several hundred vehicles per day) or a high enough overall average speed (highest top percentile over 30mph!). So I tried, everyone in our street was very disappointed. I agree with you we should just have speed control on every street, speeding problem solved! I really dread the day I hear the screeching of tires and the sickening thump of a pedestrian getting hit outside our house, I hope to God it’s not a schoolchild.

Kevin

I’ve noticed the speeding cars in Montara, too. I’ve made a sort of game out of it when I’m walking around with my kids, especially at night. I try to guess the age, sex, and cell-phone usage of the driver before I can see the car (just headlights and engine noise at night).

I score very high on that game.

It’s fun to play a version of that game when I’m driving, too. As you know, Montara has many intersections with no stop signs at all. Love to approach those, especially those with vegetation so you can’t see up or down the road, and wonder who might be coming at a high speed! Keeps me alert!

—Darin

I’m glad you introduced this topic.  I am also concerned about speeding cars and think about it when driving home on Avenue Alhambra in El Granada.  Some folks think they are still on Rte 1 and I rarely see anyone pulled over for traffic violations on the residential streets.  Have you contacted anyone official about this?

Gael, you may recall that at a recent MCC meeting during public comment I asked the CHP officer present about getting some speed enforcement on Avenue Alhambra due to the high percentage of drivers going way too fast.  I’ve pushing on this issue for years and have not gotten anywhere.  Note that I’m not paranoid about speed like some people are, but having most of the vehicles on Ave. Alhambra from Ave. Balboa to Capistrano going 50 mph is just too dangerous.

I think we need to make Ave Alhambra narrower by installing a landscaped center median, so that it doesn’t look like a highway.  Or maybe make a median with a protected bike lane?

We should note that most of the speeding in El Granada is on Ave. Alhambra, the only maintained paved street in El Granada.  (The rest of the streets are either unmaintained, for example, the Alameda and Ave Balboa, and/or are “oiled”, which technically isn’t “paved” because many of the components of a paved road, such as the base rock, aren’t there.)

Leonard,

The speeders in Montara don’t seem to care what sort of road surface they choose. Myself and several neighbor’s called the Sheriff reporting licence plates and vehicle descriptions of the regular offenders, the Sheriffs Dept did send out patrol cars to man the four way stops for a while, I have no idea if any tickets where issued.

Try getting people to call in, make a noise, it works.

Kevin

The speeding in Montara is really getting out of hand. I thought it was somewhat contained to Sunshine Valley Road and George Ave, but now I see it more and more all over. I want to take my kids on a walk around Montara but it’s to a point where I just feel the conditions are just too unsafe at times. The speed bumps are great if you live or are walking right near them, but then they all just speed up right after the bump twice as fast to make up the time.

Can’t we get the police to monitor the residential streets people are using as highways more often? Put a little scare into the speeders? At least once a month or something? All it would take is a little randomness and covering all the main commute times to let people know they can’t continue to speed. As it is nobody is telling them they can’t, so they continue to do it. It will only get worse.

Montara is the worst place I’ve ever lived, in terms of speeding cars on residential streets. Compounding the problem is that many of the speeders are driving large trucks.

Odd.

—Darin

The Sheriff has increased the speeding patrols over the last few months, I’ve certainly seen a higher profile from him. The best thing to do is call the Sheriffs Dept. and personally complain, giving examples (I even went so far as to take license plate numbers of the speeders) then the patrols increase again.

Maybe we should get a vigilante group together and hound speeders on the street!

Kevin

Kevin, that idea is great. I can picture it now. A few members on one of the problem streets huddle together in chairs around a hors d’oeuvres laden hibachi as they wait cunningly for the next vehicular miscreant to come into their sights. One member focuses on the license plate, perhaps with a pair of binoculars, another is at the ready with a pen and clipboard, while the others blast the S.O.B. with electronic bullhorns.

For a crowning touch, a “wanted poster” with digital picture of the perp in action, license plate number, and maybe vehicle description could be posted for all to see in the local Post Office.

When I lived in Montara, the Post Office wasn’t big on postings, but El Granada seemed to be more amenable.

I like the hibachi part, myself.  :o)

Montara is bad, but since the deputies started ticketing once a day every 2-3 weeks, things have improved a little.  It’s a tough one.  Other than stepping up the police presence, how do you convince people that driving 40 mph on a small rural street is dangerous?  Don’t they know it already?  Unfortunately, it’s going to take a tragedy before local “officials” really become interested.

Regards,
Mike McCall

I like Franks idea, whio’s free Next weekend!

Kevin

I just don’t understand why people can’t just relax and slow down when they are within minutes of their home. The extra minute or two they save is NOT worth the risk of hurting people, pets, children and property. Frankly, I think its disrespect to your neighbors when you speed and don?t pay attention to stop signs. Its just kind of ironic that residents of a small rural town (who are seeking are more calmer pace of life) are the speeders themselves ?especially big trucks that take up almost the entire street. I drive a truck myself. When traveling through town, I never take it out of 1st gear.

How about speeding buses that don’t stop at stop signs?

Just take a look at 2901 e/b Sixth Street @ 3:16 today - Halloween 2012.
http://youtu.be/slDPLpb2YTQ 

Note: Made Private - See Updated “Sam Trans in Action.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=m7f3KVUwWjo

This operator is a guest in our community of Montara; and I find it reckless of the Board and Transit Authority to allow this kind of behavior, which has been brought to their attention many times over the past couple of years or longer.

These drivers do this all week long, and boy are they deliberately noisy too. I even understand that the line looses approximately $15 for each rider they pick up. Top it off with The SMCTD BOD giving them / MV Transportation the green light for an $11 million dollar contact to keep MV Transportation around for another five to 10 years (which feels like life to me and others).

Do we really want these folks on our streets?

If NO, Call Mark Simon: Exec Officer for Public Affairs 650-508-6340.

He’ll say “I’m aware of the concerns and addressing them…,” but all we’re getting is more grief from the drivers, and Board.

If you’re going to post “What a wonderful asset they are…,” or anything like that, don’t bother posting it on this thread.  Post it here instead. http://coastsider.com/site/news/samtrans_forum_highlights_the_necessity_of_route_17

If you concur, please comment here, as, I’ve plenty of irratated neighbors who left their home as a result of these dangerous and inconsiderate drivers. Or, please reply in confidence here or by Coastsiders P.M..  I say the P.M. maybe better, as here was a resident who left his place over this matter after getting a pounding for his post on the topic: http://coastsider.com/site/news/opinion_samtrans_sneaks_bus_route_onto_montara_neighborhood_streets

Below, is a copy of a communication I sent, today, via 1st Class - Certified Mail - Return Receipt to SMCTD. I would like to get as many names as I can to present the BOD with.

Thank you for reading this post and for commenting appropriately,
Joel Colletti

Dear Sam Trans,

Per Malia (sp/) in Customer Service, it’s been requested I email you my / our communitiy’s complaints, as she seemed unwilling to forward my concerns to the appropriate division., but instead asked me if I’ve called the transportation police (which has not served me well in the past).

Since returning home from the Baltics, I’ve observed the following:

10/26 2901 various times - speeding s/b on Farallone and being noisy e/b on 6th.

10/27 2901 2:21pm - rolled through Stop sign

10/27 2:26 E/b on 6th - Making unnecessary noise.

10/28 6:45 am , 8:46am, 2903 10:46, 2903, 2903 12:49 all e/b on 6th- noise. 2902 4:20 too fast - s/b on Farallone. 2902 4:51 Noisy / not a complete stop.

10/29 7:21am e/b 6th- rolling stop. 8:05am e/b 6th noisy. 2901- e/b 6th rolling stop / noisy

10/30 2902 12:30pm - speeding s/b on Farallone / no right turn signal onto 7th w/b, 2900 - 2:15 did not signal left turn onto Farallone. 4:03 w/b on 6th - noisy, 2901 5:15 e/b on 6th noisy between Maini and Farallone.

With Halloween upon us & day light savings coming to an end, there is no excuse for this behavior.  These operators are guests in our community. 

There is no reason that I and my neighbors Jen, Angel and Armando, Charlotte, Lou, Mark, Susan and Vic, to name a few, should have to endure this aggravation.

I’ve been advised to give you / Samtrans a deadline to remove this line from these streets before a certain time.  I did not want to give you a deadline,  but we have no alternative. We will be taking “appropriate action” if these buses are not removed from our streets by November 22, 2012.

In the meantime, I’ll be and have been collecting first names and physical addresses, at the suggestion of the local Sheriff’s department, from those who have given me permission to use their comments.

I was told by Jen on 6th that for the past 2 years she has been expressing the same concerns that I have, to someone in charge at Samtrans; and has had no positive results from her efforts. While she has several children who may need transportation to get her children to Cunha high school in 10 - 15 years, she is determined to rid the community of your buses, as many of us are. Unfortunately, many don’t have the time to spend fighting a bureaucracy like Samtrans. But I am determined and will not cease.

This is our demand and will not endure any more of Samtrans kicking the can down the road.

Sincerely and Respectfully,
Joel Colletti
PO Box 370146
Montara, CA 94037