Salinas neighborhood pressing city to put up speed bumps

Neighbors in East Salinas are fed up with people speeding through their neighborhoods, especially the streets surrounding Cesar E. Chavez Elementary, like Towt and Paseo Grande.

Neighbors on Paseo Grande are gathering signatures for a petition to get the city to do something to alleviate traffic issues in the area. They want the city to put up speed bumps.

“It would slow people down,” area resident Catherine Lopuch said. “It would probably help because there’s a lot of kids out here, especially with the schools and all the houses.”

The petition process is pretty simple–a petition requires signatures from at least ten people, then it can be submitted to the city for review. After the petition is filed, the city will send representatives to the area to evaluate the concerns, surveying the amount and speed of traffic.

But it could take a few years to see change in the area. The Public Works Director David Jacobs told KION that the city helps the areas with the highest concern first.

“Traffic calming projects are prioritized annually based on data driven methodologies to deliver projects based on identified needs and benefits rather than a first come first serve basis,” Jacobs said in a statement.

Neighbors hope the city will act in this area before things get worse.

“A few years ago you had a lot of bad hit and runs, people getting hit all the time,” area resident Javier Picazo said. “I feel like people don’t do something until it actually happens and they feel bad about it.”

The city gets $500,000 per year to alleviate traffic issues, which allows for three to four neighborhood projects.

Salinas DPW will present this year’s projects to the city council next week. The director told KION areas like 1st Ave, Geil Street and Villa Street are a top priority for projects.