The opening of the district facility later this month will impact traffic, and therefore traffic safety, on the Lower Ridge Rd corridor when approximately 23 busses begin using the corridor as their home base. Each of the busses will enter and exit the facility around 4 times a day, many of them required to make left hand turns across Ridge Rd onto Bowers Lane. CHP officials, as the guardians of the public school system’s transportation departments, have an investment in the safety of the crossing of the roadway in that area, and a concern about the current 55 mile per hour speed limit.

This concern combined with general traffic safety for all residents is the only consideration for the California Highway Patrol as they make traffic safety recommendations to Caltrans and the Department of Transportation. Although the timing is somewhat coincidental for the City of Sutter Creek’s request for help in dealing with Caltrans criteria that currently prohibits the addition of left hand turn lanes for the development of a commercial property on the corner, the development of the property is not the primary concern of the CHP.

CHP Officials state that they are looking at a recommendation for a reduction in that area from the current 55 mph to 45 mph because of considerations that include public safety and the new bus barn. Caltrans criteria currently advises that a 55 mph speed limit is the appropriate speed limit for that area based on previous traffic studies required under state anti-speed trap laws. The 55 mph speed limit does not allow for left hand turn lanes into or out of the corner property currently under development by Griffin Construction. This, in turn, has greatly impacted Griffin’s ability to find suitable tenants and businesses for the property.

CHP officials emphasize that although they understand the City and Griffin’s plight over the turn lanes, that is not the CHP’s overriding concern. Their job is to provide and enforce traffic safety considerations for all citizens here in the county and any recommendations that are made by the CHP for a reduced speed limit will be based on those considerations alone.