Speeding concerns in Los Altos Hills have led the city council to increase targeted traffic enforcement for the next month, with plans to look at further long-term measures.
Consistent speeding across several major roadways in Los Altos Hills led the city council at its Dec. 9 meeting to ask the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office to increase traffic enforcement in problem areas through Jan. 15 and report back in January on results, according to city staff. A city staff report showed southbound Robleda Road and Dori Lane had some of the highest speeding rates, while southbound Altamont Road and Padre Court had frequent speeds near or above 40 mph in a 25-mph zone. Northbound Elena Road and Josefa Lane also had higher overall speeds compared to other hillside corridors.
Data collected from July through early December showed morning and late afternoon peaks had the highest amount of speeding, with the highest maximum speeds generally seen between 5-7 a.m. Los Altos Hills has used a portable speed feedback sign this year in several locations to try to reduce speeding and to collect data on how fast cars are going.
While the council agreed on a temporary solution, long-term enforcement of larger areas could require more full-time sheriff’s deputies and more operating hours, increasing costs, which did not garner full council support.
Several council members expressed concern about the increased costs of adding more officers to patrol Los Altos Hills. Councilmember Stanley Mok did not want to add a full-time position dedicated to speeding, given the cost, but was open to targeted enforcement.
“Before we do anything, we should do some additional research on this,” Mok said. “I do know if we have one full-time equivalent for an officer, it’s like $500,000 per year, so if we make decisions on additional law enforcement in those areas, please be cognizant.”
The council eventually agreed that targeted enforcement in areas would be a practical and budget-friendly way to send a message that it was prioritizing reducing speeding in Los Altos Hills.
Several people who live on Elena Road spoke at the meeting in favor of increased enforcement to protect pedestrians, bicyclists, kids and animals on the narrow roads of Los Altos Hills, which often lack sidewalks, arguing that speeding would only get worse without increased enforcement. Others noted that their fences had been hit by drivers and that cars had sped past them while they were walking. John O’Connell, a Los Altos Hills resident, noted he can hear speeders near his property.
“The speeding I hear is late at night and early in the morning,” O’Connell said. “Sometimes very early in the morning, i.e., late at night.”
O’Connell argued that there were solutions that wouldn’t cost very much, like having the Los Altos Hills Technology Committee look into solutions being used in the United Kingdom and Europe around camera identification technology. Several speakers supported his idea. The council also instructed staff to work with the Los Altos Hills Technology Committee to evaluate potential traffic calming measures.
