Cathedral City recommends speed limit changes on 11 roads
Kendall Flynn
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Cathedral City’s City Council is cracking down on varying speed limits and crashes throughout the city. In a study session Wednesday night, council members discussed the speed limits on 74 roads.
Out of the roads discussed, for 11 of them the council proposed changes to either reduce or increase the speed limits. The council has not yet voted on the changes, and they have not been approved, but they expect to discuss them again on May 21 before the decision to adopt the ordinance on June 25.
Residents told News Channel 3, they feel these speed limit changes are necessary.
“I asked a policeman here not too long ago if the speed limits around here were advisory,” Larry Sherris laughed. “He of course said, ‘Of course not.'”
Sherris has been living part time in Cathedral City for nearly 20 years, and said he’s had scary experiences driving on Ramon Road and Vista Chino on his motorcycle. Areas he said other drivers speed and drive recklessly.
“I started out with my motorcycle and some fella blew the light coming the other way and turned right in front of me,” Sherris said. “And I was able to get my motor cycle stopped and down before he hit me, and I was very fortunate.”
Another Cathedral City resident, Rick Wenzel, said the speed limit signs are inconsistent. Whether it’s a lack of signage or speed jumps, he feels there needs to be improvement.
“You don’t know which street you’re on [or] how fast you’re supposed to go,” Wenzel said.
Sherris and Wenzel agree reducing the speed limits would help the safety of the community, and they believe it should’ve been done sooner.
“I’ve long thought that these major thoroughfares should have a much lower speed limit,” Sherris said. “So I’m thinking they should not be over 40 [mph]. To me driving here is very dangerous.”
The Cathedral City City Council is proposing speed limit changes to 11 roads. Those changes are below:
For the city council study session discussion on the speeding and crash survey leading to this proposal go to https://www.youtube.com/live/NWY7NgahTCE?t=329s
Stay with News Channel 3 to hear more about the proposed changes to busy roads in the Valley and how locals are responding.