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Merced council adopts first reading of citywide speed-zone study, lowers many residential limits
Summary
City staff and consultant JOB Traffic Engineering presented a citywide speed study that recommends lowering numerous residential and business district limits. Council accepted the reductions and asked for more analysis on proposed increases, particularly on M Street and North Bear Creek.
Merced's council accepted a staff-recommended update to the city's speed zone study on Nov. 17, adopting the changes on first reading while asking staff to re-examine proposed increases on several arterial segments.
JOB Traffic Engineering's Matt Arndt told the council the study covered 237 segments, using 85th-percentile spot-speed data, collision history and frontage classification to recommend limits. "Of these 237 street segments, 145 remain unchanged from the last study, 77 were lowered, and 15 were raised," Arndt said in his presentation.
Most reductions were concentrated in business and residential districts (several existing 30/35 mph segments recommended to be posted at 25 mph). The study rounded measured 85th-percentile speeds to the nearest 5 mph increment per California MUTCD methodology and applied further downward adjustments on segments with high collisions or vulnerable road-user concentrations.
Council members welcomed many of the reductions, especially on neighborhood collectors where residents have complained about speed. Several members nonetheless asked staff to re-check the segments where speeds were proposed to increase, pointing to M Street and portions of North Bear Creek as places warranting a second look because of curvature, pedestrian exposure and high crash histories.
Captain Dabney of the Merced Police Department agreed the data-driven process is sound but urged council to retain discretion to adjust segments where road geometry or lack of sidewalks increases risk. Council directed staff to proceed with the lower-limit recommendations and to run additional analysis on proposed increases, then return with an ordinance and refined recommendations for the council's second reading.
