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Resident says speeding drivers are hitting parked cars on Graves Avenue; council asks staff to re-evaluate traffic warrants
Summary
A resident told the El Cajon City Council that drivers travel up to about 60 mph on Graves Avenue and described a crash that pushed a parked van onto a curb. Staff said traffic warrants must be met before adding stop signs and agreed to re-run studies after the recent crash.
Justin Heffernan, a Graves Avenue resident, told the El Cajon City Council on May 27 that cars have been speeding “upwards of 60 miles per hour” on Graves Avenue and described a crash the morning of the meeting in which a southbound car struck a parked van and pushed it about 10 feet onto the curb.
The council and staff responded that traffic control devices such as stop signs must meet established engineering warrants before the city installs them. City Manager Graham said staff would re-examine the prior traffic study and “run some another analysis, especially given the latest crash” to determine whether warrants have changed.
Why it matters: Neighbors described repeated crashes and near-misses that they say have made driveways and sidewalks dangerous. Councilmembers stressed that local reporting and police documentation — police reports and other official records — strengthen the case for engineering changes.
Heffernan said he submitted a service request through the city’s app on Nov. 26, 2024, and received a reply on Dec. 4, 2024, that a traffic study found stop signs were unwarranted and that the city planned to add 25-mph speed-limit signs instead. He told council that the temporary stop controls used when a sewer repair closed part of Ballantine in late 2024 sharply reduced speeding.
“From the day I moved in to yesterday, I’ve witnessed three accidents where speeding cars have hit parked cars,” Heffernan told council. He asked the city to install stop signs at Graves and Cedar and said the speed-limit sign placed after the earlier crash had been knocked down in the most recent collision.
Graham and councilmembers described the legal and engineering constraints cities face when adding stop signs, saying installing an unwarranted stop sign can create liability. Councilmember Gary Kendrick urged neighbors to document crashes and file police reports, and Councilmember Steve Goble said staff would “relook at that” in light of the new crash.
What the city will do: Staff committed to re-running analyses of crash history and speeds on Graves Avenue and to report back; no council motion or formal policy change was taken at the meeting. Councilmembers suggested residents gather additional documentation, including police reports, and pursue petitions if staff analysis remains unchanged.
The discussion occurred during the public comment portion of the May 27 meeting and did not result in an immediate council vote.
