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County Officials to Look At Speed Limits on Ridge Road |
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Wednesday, 05 December 2007 |
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County
road officials are once again looking at speed limits on Ridge Road. A Cameron Park engineering
firm in October conducted an engineering and traffic survey –
they were asked to review the posted speed limit along Ridge Road in the vicinity of New York Ranch Road
between Hamricks Grade and Climax
Road. The speed limit on Ridge
Road from Hamricks Grade to New York Ranch Rd was reduced from 55
miles per hour to 50 miles per hour in 2003. Since then, a turn out lane
and other improvements were made at the intersection of Ridge and New York
Ranch Rds.
Engineers were asked to analyze 4 options: leave the
posted speed as is; return the speed limit to the former 55 mph; decrease the
speed limit even further; or expand the 50 mph zone in either direction.
Hazards in this area, including residential driveways and 3 road intersections,
need to be taken into consideration when establishing a speed zone.
Accident rates for various spots
in this stretch of road are 2 – 3 times higher than average for similar rural
roads. Based on the road hazards and accident frequency, the engineering
report recommended that the speed limit not be returned to 55 mph; not did they
recommend a speed limit lower than 50. However they DID recommend extending the 50 mph zone
westward to a spot west of Hamrick’s Grade at about mile marker 3.0. They also
recommended safety measures including widened paved shoulders, roadway
widening and/or a 2-way center turn lane for protected left turns into side
streets and driveways, and improved lane edge and centerline striping. The
Amador County Board of
Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the proposed speed limit for this
segment of Ridge Road
at their regular meeting on December 18.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 18 December 2007 )
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