Traffic commission denies two speed-hump petitions after engineers’ speed study

The Bell Gardens Traffic & Safety Commission voted to deny two resident petitions for speed humps — on Perry Road and Ajax Avenue — after city engineering data fell short of the threshold required by policy.

Staff introduced the Perry Road request (between Florence Place and Florence Avenue) and asked the commission to close the matter unless conditions change. City engineer Doug Benesh said engineers recorded an average of 3,540 vehicles per day on Perry Road from Oct. 21–23 and measured the 85th-percentile speed at 30.6 mph, below the 32-mph threshold the policy requires for speed-hump installation. “Therefore, the street does not qualify,” Benesh said, and recommended denial.

Commissioners discussed alternatives. Benesh and another staff member noted enforcement actions and the temporary deployment of a police speed trailer as options. Benesh said the city could reopen the request after 12 months if conditions change.

The commission then considered a similar petition for Ajax Avenue (between Lubeck Street and Luedell Street). Benesh reported counts of roughly 3,600 vehicles per day and an 85th-percentile speed of 31.3 mph, again below the 32-mph installation threshold. Staff recommended denial, and the commission approved closing the request with the same 12-month reopen provision.

Both motions passed on roll call with the commissioners present voting in favor. The votes closed the requests administratively but left the door open for residents to request new studies if traffic or speeds increase.

Why it matters: Bell Gardens’ policy requires both volume and an engineering speed threshold to justify speed humps; the commission’s decision reflects those technical criteria and shifts the focus to enforcement or temporary measures for near-threshold locations.

Next steps: Staff said they will notify the petitioners of the denials and that requests may be re-opened after another speed study if conditions change.