Upset about speeding in your neighborhood? Look in the mirror

At the Decoro bike lane community meeting back in September, people were upset. Their number one complaint was that their street, Decoro, had been taken from two lanes to one. The second biggest complaint they had was speeding on Decoro.

Yes. You read that right. Cognitive dissonance in North Valencia. They were upset about having to slow down, but they were also upset about other people speeding too much. “I can’t go fast, but other people are going too fast!”

Ultimately they voted to remove the traffic-calming, bike-friendly configuration and remake Decoro back into a high speed two lane road through the center of their community. I liked that we were able to compromise and keep our bike lanes, but I had to shake my head at the illogic of their two main complaints.

Zoom forward a few months and now the Sheriff’s Station and the City are announcing a new anti-speeding campaign and in the press release announcement is this gem:

Where the Sheriff’s Department has performed license plate studies in residential areas, looking to determine if those who are speeding in the neighborhoods are actually from the neighborhood or not, in the vast majority of cases, it was determined that those who are speeding are actually residents who live in the studied area.

Ha, I knew it!

Only other people speed right? Certainly not me! How dare you even suggest that I speed?

We also run into this whenever a neighborhood becomes concerned about a perceived or real ‘cut through.’ The neighbors get all upset and proclaim that outsiders are speeding through their neighborhood. Yet as the Sheriff’s report says, most of the license plates of speeders reside in those same neighborhoods.

I am mildly amused by the hypocrisy here.

The City also says there were 1,618 traffic collisions between January 1 2004 and December 31 2008 in which “unsafe speed was reported by the Sheriff’s Department as the primary collision factor.”

That number isn’t really useful in and of itself (what percentage of all collisions have speeding as a factor?) but it’s still quite a bunch: that’s nearly one traffic collision a day for five years straight in which speeding played a part.

I think this was filmed in Santa Clarita. The driver is a dead ringer for people I see on the roads everyday.

and here’s another one with a cursing Santa Clarita motorist:

Comments (12)

cashNovember 12, 2009 at 4:02 pm

It is about time the sheriff addressed the speeding problem. In the past there has been a reluctance to enforce limits because the City wanted to be thought of as a friendly place to live; a city with minimal big brother intervention. Well that is a nice gesture, but the traffic is deadly and needs attention. Motorist that run red lights should be on the hit list as well. Cyclist the ignore basic traffic laws and create hazards can be put on the back burner for now. Sorry Jeff, I just could not stop myself.

cashNovember 12, 2009 at 4:04 pm

Great video.

spineflower2November 12, 2009 at 4:47 pm

Santa Clarita annexed into Maine?

spineflower2November 12, 2009 at 4:48 pm

I always suspected the worst offenders were the locals. I see that in my neighborhood every day. But Decoro wasn’t about speeding on Decoro. it was abuot safety and transit time through it, which is not the same thing as speeding.

FredNovember 12, 2009 at 5:38 pm

I like it that they addressing the speeding problem. I wish they would also address the pokey teenage girls talking on cell phones problem as well. Spreading out that flashing yellow left turn arrows they have in front of the courthouse to other parts of the city would also be a good improvement. It is irritating to have to be sitting at light at 4:30 AM with no traffic waiting a full minute or more to get a left turn arrow.

cashNovember 12, 2009 at 5:43 pm

Holly crap. That guy would have been shot or a least been given an ass kicking in some areas of the country.

JeffNovember 12, 2009 at 5:47 pm

Fred what did you make of the Ralph Drollinger story I linked to int he Daily Brief? Curious to hear your thoughts

Timothy MyersNovember 12, 2009 at 6:18 pm

On Drollinger: I would guess from the various code words used that the issue was one of sexual misconduct, probably an adulterous relationship with a church staffer or member of the congregation.

FredNovember 12, 2009 at 8:42 pm

Jeff, Been busy today and just noticed the top story on speeding. I have know idea what the thing with Ralph is about. I doubt seriously that it is sexual misconduct and to suggest the language of either article implies this demonstrates a rather severe ability with reading comprehension. It looks like to me he has something of an draconian authority issue over the people who served in the ministry.

hrmNovember 13, 2009 at 11:47 am

I’d say yay if the Sheriff’s department didn’t actively work to flaw these studies on speeding by choosing particular hours of the day, the wrong locations for speeding, and deliberately trying to find local homeowners to ticket. I know for a fact that all of the above happened when they “studied” my neighborhood after there were complaints of speeding.

anonymousNovember 13, 2009 at 12:53 pm

Well all I have to say is hrm you 100% correct. They did the same thing in my neighborhood. Oh and lets not forget they wont site you for speeding unless you are going at least 8 miles over the speed limit.

JaneNovember 13, 2009 at 2:04 pm

HRM – “…and deliberately trying to find local homeowners to ticket.” How exactly does this work? I’d venture a guess that anyone pulled over was not wearing their address on their forehead, how does the officer know the person is a resident? On my street, I am one of the few without children, yet I am pretty near the only one who DOESN’T drive down the street at 40 mph or better. This is a narrow street where the kids all play outside. I am forever yelling at drivers (my neighbors) to slow down. I sure don’t want to see a kid killed because some idiot has to get home quicker than anyone else. Yes, I’m talking to you, mom in the silver SUV, mid-life crisis woman in the green BMW 750 (who also tailgates going up the hill), and a seemingly endless supply of 20-something males in black and/or white pickups.

cashNovember 12, 2009 at 4:02 pm
It is about time the sheriff addressed the speeding problem. In the past there has been a reluctance to enforce limits because the City wanted to be thought of as a friendly place to live; a city with minimal big brother intervention. Well that is a nice gesture, but the traffic is deadly and needs attention. Motorist that run red lights should be on the hit list as well. Cyclist the ignore basic traffic laws and create hazards can be put on the back burner for now. Sorry Jeff, I just could not stop myself.
cashNovember 12, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Great video.
spineflower2November 12, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Santa Clarita annexed into Maine?
spineflower2November 12, 2009 at 4:48 pm
I always suspected the worst offenders were the locals. I see that in my neighborhood every day. But Decoro wasn’t about speeding on Decoro. it was abuot safety and transit time through it, which is not the same thing as speeding.
FredNovember 12, 2009 at 5:38 pm
I like it that they addressing the speeding problem. I wish they would also address the pokey teenage girls talking on cell phones problem as well. Spreading out that flashing yellow left turn arrows they have in front of the courthouse to other parts of the city would also be a good improvement. It is irritating to have to be sitting at light at 4:30 AM with no traffic waiting a full minute or more to get a left turn arrow.
cashNovember 12, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Holly crap. That guy would have been shot or a least been given an ass kicking in some areas of the country.
JeffNovember 12, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Fred what did you make of the Ralph Drollinger story I linked to int he Daily Brief? Curious to hear your thoughts
Timothy MyersNovember 12, 2009 at 6:18 pm
On Drollinger: I would guess from the various code words used that the issue was one of sexual misconduct, probably an adulterous relationship with a church staffer or member of the congregation.
FredNovember 12, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Jeff, Been busy today and just noticed the top story on speeding. I have know idea what the thing with Ralph is about. I doubt seriously that it is sexual misconduct and to suggest the language of either article implies this demonstrates a rather severe ability with reading comprehension. It looks like to me he has something of an draconian authority issue over the people who served in the ministry.
hrmNovember 13, 2009 at 11:47 am
I’d say yay if the Sheriff’s department didn’t actively work to flaw these studies on speeding by choosing particular hours of the day, the wrong locations for speeding, and deliberately trying to find local homeowners to ticket. I know for a fact that all of the above happened when they “studied” my neighborhood after there were complaints of speeding.
anonymousNovember 13, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Well all I have to say is hrm you 100% correct. They did the same thing in my neighborhood. Oh and lets not forget they wont site you for speeding unless you are going at least 8 miles over the speed limit.
JaneNovember 13, 2009 at 2:04 pm
HRM – “…and deliberately trying to find local homeowners to ticket.” How exactly does this work? I’d venture a guess that anyone pulled over was not wearing their address on their forehead, how does the officer know the person is a resident? On my street, I am one of the few without children, yet I am pretty near the only one who DOESN’T drive down the street at 40 mph or better. This is a narrow street where the kids all play outside. I am forever yelling at drivers (my neighbors) to slow down. I sure don’t want to see a kid killed because some idiot has to get home quicker than anyone else. Yes, I’m talking to you, mom in the silver SUV, mid-life crisis woman in the green BMW 750 (who also tailgates going up the hill), and a seemingly endless supply of 20-something males in black and/or white pickups.