West Covina traffic committee approves 2025 speed-survey changes and recertifies 2017 limits to Oct. 2031

The City of West Covina Traffic Committee on Nov. 19 voted to forward two speed‑limit items to the City Council: a 2025 engineering and traffic survey recommending new posted speeds at 69 locations around the city, and a recertification of the remaining 126 locations from the 2017 citywide survey to a 14‑year period effective through October 2031.

Jana of TransTech, the consultant presenting the results, told the committee the 69 locations were selected from a set of roughly 195 segments evaluated from the 2017 survey and prioritized for safety concerns and collision history. ‘‘Pretty much rounding down,’’ she said of the consultant’s approach to the new posted limits, and added, ‘‘All 69, we were able to reduce the speed.’’ The recommendations follow the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and guidance cited from the California Vehicle Code, and account for factors such as 85th‑percentile speeds, average daily traffic and five years of collision history.

The consultant explained that updated guidelines allow staff to round down posted speeds and to apply additional reductions on stretches adjacent to high concentrations of pedestrians and bicyclists—locations that include commercial corridors, parks, senior centers and school generators within roughly 1,300 feet. As an example, a segment with an 85th‑percentile speed yielding a 45 mph posting could be reduced to 40 mph under the new methodology; Shadow Oak, a local street near parks and schools, was cited as a candidate to move from 40 to 35 mph.

Committee members asked several procedural and practical questions. One member asked why some major arterials with no recorded collisions or nearby schools were proposed for 10‑mph reductions; TransTech said commercial pedestrian activity, complaint history and proximity to generators can justify reductions even when a school is not on the immediate block. The committee also queried the estimated cost to implement the signage changes; staff gave an estimate of approximately $40,000 for new signs and pavement markings but acknowledged a later reference in the discussion to $48,000, which was described as accounting for product and labor/time to install. Staff said the $40,000 figure should be inclusive of materials and labor and that final costs could be lower if existing signs or poles are reused.

On outreach and enforcement, TransTech said staff would coordinate with the police department to determine an appropriate public notification and enforcement schedule—suggesting a possible 30–60 day grace period—and that outreach could include social media or changeable message boards. Jana emphasized, ‘‘you can’t get a ticket until the signs are placed,’’ meaning enforcement would begin only after the new signs are installed.

After discussion, the committee voted unanimously (Neil Mehta, Art Cervantes, Robert Ortega and Mike Chrisap) to approve the 69‑location 2025 survey and forward it to council. The committee then heard the second item: certification of the remaining 126 locations from the 2017 survey to a 14‑year period effective until October 2031. TransTech explained recertification is a routine process to keep preexisting posted speeds enforceable; staff said the fiscal impact for that item is $0 because no changes are proposed. The committee voted unanimously to forward the recertification to council as well.

Both items will return to the City Council for final adoption (likely by resolution or ordinance); if adopted, staff will finalize the reports, provide them to the police department, and proceed with sign placement and any directed outreach.

The Traffic Committee adjourned with its next meeting tentatively scheduled for Dec. 17 at 6:00 p.m.