Santa Rosa will consider lowering speed limits on multiple streets

CBS News

2 days ago

The Santa Rosa City Council will be considering a proposal to reduce speed limits by 5 mph across 29 street segments.
"A lot of our crashes and collisions are caused by the way our roads and streets have been designed, and our policies that make it hard for people to get around without a car. And that privilege of cars going fast as opposed to other modes of transportation," Eris Weaver, the executive director of Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, told CBS News Bay Area.
Weaver is passionate about biking and uses it as her main mode of transportation.
"It's just fun, and it's cheaper than driving a car," she said.
She is optimistic about the city's proposal as one means of keeping everyone safe on the roads.
"Education has to be a part of a whole comprehensive campaign along with encouragement, and engineering, which means changing the built-in environment that people operate in," Weaver said.
Reducing speed limits is a part of Sonoma County's Vision Zero Program, to reduce the number of traffic-related deaths and injuries to zero. According to the latest data, there were more than 300 crashes in Santa Rosa back in 2021, compared to nearly 500 crashes in 2020.
"If a pedestrian or cyclist is hit by a car going 20 miles an hour, 90% chance of surviving. If that car goes 40 mph, they have a 90% chance of dying. And vehicles have been getting bigger and bigger and heavier," Weaver said.
The proposal would drop speed limits on multiple street segments from 40 to 35 mph, 35 to 30 mph, and 30 to 25 mph.
CBS News Bay Area reached out to Santa Rosa Police for comment, and a spokesperson shared traffic-related statistics for the month of July. There were 1,435 traffic stops, 48 traffic collisions, and 35 DUI arrests. Police also had 21 extra patrols by the motor team, conducting traffic enforcement near schools since the first day of school last week.
Emily Jauregui, who works at Café des Croissants, near Mendocino Avenue, said speeding is a growing concern.
"It's on a very busy road, so a lot of cars are going very fast. Especially a hill, it's really hard to slow down, where pedestrians are going," she said. "I am an aunt. So, it's still very important for me because I want to make sure that it's OK to walk with my nephew and my niece with a stroller."
And for community leaders like Weaver, she said she will continue to fight for safer streets for everyone on the road.
"People come from all over the country to Sonoma County to ride bicycles," Weaver said.
"Advocate for the cities and county to improve the bike infrastructure so that more people are able to get the joy that I feel every day riding my bike," she added.
CBS News Bay Area reached out to the city of Santa Rosa for an interview, and a spokesperson said they will not be available for comment until after the proposal vote.
According to a staff report given to the city, 15 of the 29 street segments where speed limits would be reduced are high-injury networks.
The other locations include street segments on Barnes Road, Bicentennial Way, and Brookwood Avenue.