Escondido commission approves citywide speed surveys, forwards 13-segment recommendations to council

The Transportation and Community Safety Commission on Aug. 27 approved engineering and traffic speed surveys for 13 street segments and voted to forward the staff recommendations to the City Council.

The commission’s action implements regular updates required by state law and the California Vehicle Code. Rob Lau, a traffic consultant with STC Traffic, told commissioners the city periodically must collect traffic and speed data and set posted speeds at or below the 80th percentile of observed speeds. "We survey a 100 samples, collect the 80 fifth percentile, we round it," Lau said, describing the survey method and rounding conventions used to set limits.

Why it matters: speed surveys set the legal basis for posted speed limits used in enforcement and design of traffic-calming measures. Updating the surveys ensures posted limits reflect current driving behavior and the statutory approach to rounding and allowable reductions.

The staff report and consultant presentation said most segments would retain their current posted limits after the 80th-percentile analysis. Three segments were recommended for lower posted limits: the segment listed as number 10 ("Ninth between the 15 Freeway and Pine Crest"), and two segments on Washington ("Washington between Veil and Rock Springs" and "Washington between Rock Springs and Quince"). For those three, staff recommended lowering the posted limit to 35 miles per hour based on observed 80th-percentile speeds of 36–37 mph.

Commissioners asked about a short segment on El Norte between Nordahl and I-15 where the observed 80th percentile rounded to 40 mph but staff recommended maintaining 45 mph to preserve continuity with adjacent segments. Lau and staff said the segment’s short length and the desire to avoid a rapid drop-then-rise in posted speeds guided that decision; staff noted state guidance discourages creating abrupt transitions that could be perceived as speed traps.

Commissioners also discussed an example where a previously posted 35-mph limit was retained despite a higher 80th-percentile (Filacita Avenue segment). Lau said recent changes to the Vehicle Code allow cities to retain previously posted limits in limited cases, and that lanes added to a roadway would be one justification for raising a posted limit in the future.

Formal action: Commission motioned to approve the proposed speed limits for the 13 segments and forward the recommendations to City Council. The motion passed on a recorded vote of 6–0.

Next steps: Staff will forward the certified speed survey package and recommendation to City Council for final adoption and posting changes if the council approves the list. The commission did not authorize new enforcement actions; it certified the engineering and traffic surveys and recommended the council adopt the posted limits.

Ending: Commissioners thanked staff and the consultant for the report and moved on to the next agenda item.