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When driving on Hwy. 29 from Napa coming to American Canyon what is the speed limit from Green Isle Road to the overpass right where there's a radar check in the mornings? Right before Napa Junction Road?
Just wondering...

1Momfor2 –

SR29 is posted in the following manner: From the American Canyon – Vallejo City limits, (just north of Mini Drive) it is a 50 MPH zone. This zone continues north to about where the casino is, where it changes to a 55 MPH zone. The 55 Zone goes until just north of North Kelly Road, where SR29 becomes a freeway versus a highway and the limit increases to 60 MPH.

You may be asking why the different speed limits and the answer to that is that every 5 years certain types of roadways must be surveyed (there are legal exceptions to this). The survey measures the speed of the vehicles and then determines what speed 85% of the motoring public travel at.

According to our legislature, the majority (85%) of the motoring public will obey the law and are safe drivers, but approximately 15% will not and are deemed a hazard to the public and are subject to enforcement actions.

The speed at which 85% of you travel at is referred to as the "Critical Speed", the speed limit is posted within 5 MPH of the Critical Speed. The government may post the limit lesser than the survey’s critical speed, but they legally must have specific reasons to do so. These reasons could include pedestrian traffic, high collision rate, numerous uncontrolled intersections and other roadway conditions.

City streets do not need this survey if they fall within 3 requirements. The requirements are one lane for each direction, less than one-half mile between control devices and less than 40 feet wide. This is why the older streets such as Rio Del Mar, Los Altos and such have a limit of 25 MPH, while other residential streets have a limit of 30 MPH. The newer streets, like Elliot from the Police Station to Benton Way, are more than 40 feet wide and had to be surveyed. The survey gave a recommended speed higher than 30, so the city posted it accordingly at 30 MPH, lowering the limit to within 5 MPH of the recommended speed.

The California Vehicle Code has specific sections that deal with electronic speed enforcement. Look at sections 40800 through 40805 and this will give you an idea of what we must do to run radar or Lidar (ask if you want to know what Lidar is) You can find these sections in the topic, Legal Self Help, where I posted a few links to goverment sites.

As for the Radar check…. Since we started doing that, the accident rate has decreased and the motorist that move through the city know we run radar and slow down…. Which is the whole purpose of radar…. Get the motoring public to obey the posted speed limits… Hope this answered your question…………..

Personally, I would think it would be easier and safer if all residential streets were at the lower 25 mile per hour speed limit. It gets pretty confusing when driving through the city to remember what limit is posted.

you can still drive 25, even in a posted 30 zone if you feel safer doing so....

The reason I asked this is sometimes coming into American Canyon from Napa Cars are going fast even at the over pass. If one were to slow down the car behind would re-end them. This is becoming a common problem when commuting back to American Canyon at least in the morning hours. People are braking, others still driving fast and others slowing. That I know of there has been 3 fender benders right there. What do you suggest.
Thank you

Quick question about speed limit signs. Lets say there are two signs, one is 35mph and other is 25mph. They are about a mile apart. The first sign is 35mph, then 1 mile later its 25mph. Does the 25mph limit take effect AT the sign or a few feet before, or after, I am a little confused about this. I ask since I was stopped a couple months back for going 52 in the 25mph but the cop didnt give me a ticket since I told him he clocked me before the 25mph zone (where its 50) and I slowed to about 30 before pulled me over.

So, question is, when does a speed limit sign take effect?

1Momfor2-
We know about the traffic problem with the southbound speed coming into town. This problem has gotten worse as neighboring communities get larger and housing increases. There is no one answer to your question, the speed limit is posted as the traffic study indicated and we try to enforce it as much as we can.

Issa-

Speed limits are posted at the begining of the speed zone, or intersection, they indicate and then frequently throughout the portion of road they govern. If the speed is a reduction or increase, then the reduction or increase is effective at the sign.

Dept. Brownlee

I thank you for answering my statement. I know you guys know all the problem areas. It just makes us feel better thinking we are doing our part. You never know we might suprize you one of these times and know one before you guys. Thank you for you reply.

this is sorta abought this subject but by the rail road traks where the cars turn right ontothe highway why cant they just make another lane going into ac there are two roads once you get past the electric plant so why dont they just spray paint a extra line so that you dont have to turn once you get on the other side of the road

Neo..... Take a look in the last issue of our American Canyon newspaper and you will see that beginning this fiscal year, American Canyon Road will undergo some major changes, including making it 4 lanes from Flosden all the way to Wetlands Edge Road... The intersection at Broadway will be re-aligned and turn pockets put in and one taken out.... The end date is supposed to be about October 2006 if I read the article right....

ok thanks maybe i should read my news paper more often