Orchard Road residents speak
HOLTVILLE — Residents of Orchard Road expressed gratitude Tuesday following a meeting with county officials who proposed a series of solutions to address longstanding traffic concerns along the unincorporated area’s roadway.
In particular, residents have expressed concerns about the amount of commercial truck traffic, as well as motorists who speed past the homes located between Haven and Edwards roads.
Although additional time would be required to address the commercial truck traffic, deterrents against speeding are in the works, said county Public Works Department Director John Gay.
Those plans call for the installation of several 45 mph speed limit signs along the stretch of Orchard Road where the homes and a school bus stop are situated.
An engineering study the county had recently conducted will permit the speed limit to be lowered from 55 mph to 45 mph along that particular stretch of Orchard Road, Gay said.
The proposed speed limit reduction still needs the formal approval of the county Board of Supervisors, but once approved, it can be implemented within the next 60 days. The engineering study is a prerequisite to allow law enforcement officials to legally cite motorists who exceed the posted speed limit.
“We want to make sure that whatever we do will have standing in the court of law,” Gay said.
Recognizing residents’ desires to further limit the speed to the 25 mph restriction typically found in residential neighborhoods, Gay said the county is also working with legislative counsel in Sacramento to determine what other options are available to achieve that end.
That particular goal remains a challenge, since the number of homes currently located on Orchard Road between Haven and Edwards roads falls short of the number required to be legally recognized as a “residential district.”
“You’re three homes short of being able to declare this area a residential district where we can get speed limits down to 25 mph, which is where we want to be,” Gay said.
Options discussed during Tuesday’s informal meeting between residents and county officials included the potential introduction of a new law that would change the definition of “residential district” to terms that would be favorable to the unincorporated area of Orchard Road, as well as possibly creating a “carve-out” in the existing law that would exclusively apply to the Orchard Road residences.
Similarly, traffic conditions along the stretch of roadway fall short of the requirements needed to install a four-way stop sign at Orchard and Haven roads, Gay said. Currently, stop signs are in place on the east-west Haven Road intersection with Orchard.
In order to warrant a four-way stop sign, a traffic study must determine that both the intersection’s major and minor roads see equally heavy traffic usage, which was not the case with the Orchard and Haven intersection, Gay said.
“Nine times out of 10 it is the minor roads (such as Haven) that are the reason why we’re not able to install a stop sign,” Gay said.
Residents’ topmost concern appeared to be the apparently high volume of commercial truck traffic that travels through the area, shaking the foundations of nearby homes and further deteriorating road conditions.
In response, Gay told the approximately 30 residents in attendance at Holtville City Hall that a solution is possible, but would require the involvement of the city of Holtville and the state Department of Transportation.
“We have to get these agencies to move in the same direction as us,” he said. “Then we’re in business.”
Specifically, the city of Holtville would need to pass an ordinance prohibiting tractor trailers on Fourth Street, which is used by truckers to connect from Orchard Road to Highway 115, Gay said.
Additionally, Caltrans would also have to install signage on State Route 7 and Interstate 8 alerting truck drivers of the restrictions on Orchard Road, he said.
Fully eliminating commercial truck traffic from Orchard Road may take time, but remains possible so long as impacted residents and city, county and state officials are all in agreement.
“I don’t think that’s going to be an issue,” Gay said.