Most Vacaville school zones drop to 15 mph speed limit as kids return to class

CBS News

13 hours ago

The back-to-school season is in full swing, and in Vacaville, officials are reminding people to slow down.
Students within the Vacaville Unified School District went back to class on Thursday. Parents and anyone driving through school zones should be aware that the speed limits have changed for most schools across the city.
"The goal of this is to reduce the likelihood and severity of any motor vehicle collisions in our school zones," said Lt. Chris Lechuga with the Vacaville Police Department.
The city announced that in 19 school zones spanning Vacaville Unified, Travis Unified and three private schools, the speed limits were reduced from 25 mph to 15 mph.
They say slower speeds result in safer streets and allow drivers more time to react and stop. The move is meant to protect students, their families and crossing guards.
"We take a proactive approach to trying to identify safety issues before they happen," Lechuga said.
Vacaville Police are out patrolling the school zones already, planning to ramp up speeding enforcement soon.
"We've been pretty education-heavy for today, our first day of school. That will transition into more enforcement as the school year progresses," Lechuga said Thursday. "The adjustment from 25 to 15 mph in these school zones is going to be an adjustment for our motorists. We understand that. Our traffic and patrol units are out, very visible in our school zones to make sure we are providing education and enforcement but overall greater safety for our schools."
Neighbors near Browns Valley Elementary say they are grateful for the school zone speed limit change, but they believe speeding drivers is not their biggest problem.
Neighbor Jim McDaniel says instead, it's the congestion during peak times. People picking up and dropping off their kids every day are blocking fire hydrants, the crosswalks and even neighbors' driveways as they sit and wait.
"It's just getting worse," McDaniel said.
McDaniel has lived just feet from the school for nearly 30 years and his kids went to Browns Valley.
"The traffic infrastructure here was never designed for this many students," McDaniel said.
He said he worries every day that kids will get hit, saying there are not enough crosswalks and too many drivers are making illegal U-turns and blocking the road.
"Traffic is backed up four, five blocks both directions. We can't even get to our home," McDaniel said.
McDaniel says near Vacaville High, it is just as bad. He says he has contacted Vacaville's City Council and police chief but nothing has changed, other than the new speed limit restrictions.
"They've known about this issue now for at least two years, and very little, if anything, has been done," McDaniel said.
He's asking the city to find a quick fix outside of slowing down drivers for what he calls dangerous conditions.
The speed zone changes serve as a reminder for everyone to slow down across the region as kids go back to school.
Lechuga said that people often ask when exactly they're supposed to slow down.
"A good way to think about it is anytime children are present near the roadway during drop-off and pickup times for schools and when a school crossing guard is present," Lechuga said.
Read more about the school zone changes on the city's website.