Residents say bolted speed bumps in Pasadero harm vehicles and delay emergency response; officials plan community meeting

Residents of the Pasadero/Pasadena neighborhood told the Guadalupe City Council on Sept. 9 that recently installed bolted speed bumps near the new school are excessively sharp and are causing vehicle damage, daily hardship and safety concerns for emergency responders.

“We all want safer streets, especially for children near the school,” resident Jasmine Moreno said, adding that the bolted-in speed bumps are “more than just unnecessarily jarring” and are imposing costs on families in vehicle repairs, fuel and wear. Moreno asked the council to remove the current bolted bumps, use the city’s $90,000 Chevron traffic safety grant for best-practice alternatives, and include residents in decisions about traffic-calming measures.

Multiple residents described the bumps as abrupt and numerous. Meredith Valenzuela told the council drivers in her neighborhood must navigate “no less than 7 speed bumps” to leave in one direction; another resident said there are about 18 in parts of the subdivision. Derek Ruiz and others said the raised bolts could slow ambulances and fire apparatus and that fire personnel warned that some truck damage (for example, cracked axles) was possible if vehicles repeatedly cross the sharp bumps.

Several speakers asked the council to consider speed cushions, asphalt speed humps, narrowed lanes or raised crosswalks — measures that national guidance and traffic engineers generally recommend for residential streets and school zones. Residents also said the bumps have shifted traffic to other streets, increasing complaints in adjacent blocks.

Director of Public Works responded that staff chose the bolted units as a quick, available fix and described the installation as a short-notice reaction to safety concerns at school opening. The director said staff intends to pursue alternatives when funding and procurement permit, to increase signage and to coordinate routing for buses and trucks. “Our intent with the speed bumps was kind of like a shock and awe. To make it safer for the pedestrians and the residents of that community,” the director said, adding that a longer planning horizon would have allowed ordering speed humps or cushions.

Chief Cash, director of public safety, said he has begun outreach and proposed a community meeting so staff can hear residents’ concerns firsthand and return options to council. “I just spoke to some of the residents from the Pasadero community, and... we’re talking about putting together at least a community meeting, so that I can hear firsthand what their concerns are and be able to bring something back and look at options,” he said.

Residents asked the council for transparency about how the Chevron $90,000 grant will be used and for participation in funding decisions. Council members said they will seek a balance between pedestrian safety near the school and minimizing harm to residents’ vehicles and emergency access, and asked staff to return with options and community meeting details.