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Residents urge lower speeds on Fred Haight Drive and safety fixes near Highway 101; commission to coordinate with Caltrans
Summary
Residents from Smith River described repeated speeding, a hit‑and‑run that killed a family dog, and near‑misses for children; commissioners said a recent state law (referred to in the meeting as AB1014/AB43) may allow limited local adjustments to speed limits and pledged follow‑up with Caltrans and County Counsel.
Residents pressed the Del Norte Local Transportation Commission on safety concerns for Fred Haight Drive and a stretch of U.S. 101 near the Lucky 7 Casino, describing routine speeding, near‑misses and a recent hit‑and‑run that killed a family dog.
Michelle Carrillo, who said she lives on Fred Haight Drive in Smith River, told commissioners the roadway changes speed zones from 25 to 45 and then to 50 miles per hour in short succession and that drivers commonly accelerate after crossing a narrow two‑lane bridge. “We have our kids who walk to school,” she said, and described the hit‑and‑run that occurred “in front of my children.”
Her daughter, Annalise Carrillo, described several close calls walking with her brother and urged the commission to lower speeds rather than rely on the 85th‑percentile method for setting limits: “I want it to go down, and I wanna make sure that's actually clear that it needs to go down, not up,” she said.
Commissioners and staff responded that changing posted limits on state highways requires coordination with Caltrans and its legal review, but they noted recent state legislation discussed in the meeting (referred to by participants as AB1014 and also mentioned as AB43 in public comment) that may allow counties some leeway from strict 85th‑percentile practice. A commissioner summarized the change as: “that now we're not held to that, that county leadership can chime in and, make small adjustments,” and added that the statutory approach limits how far local agencies may move limits.
Staff said they would review the statutory details with County Counsel and Caltrans, share planning documents already prepared for the corridor (staff referenced a pedestrian‑safety plan produced by the Tallawatini Nation), and explore interim measures such as additional warning signage. Robert Grijalen, another resident, suggested adding additional 'congested area' warning signs on the northbound exit from town while speed‑limit changes are pursued.
The commission did not adopt any immediate regulatory changes at the meeting but told the Carrillo family that staff would follow up and bring relevant data and options back to a future meeting.
The next procedural step recorded at the meeting was staff coordination with Caltrans for legal and data review and the commission’s agreement to pursue the matter further at a subsequent meeting.
