The speed limit for a busy stretch of Highway 246 will be lowered, welcome news among Santa Ynez Valley residents lobbying for safer roads in the wake of recent fatal accidents.
Instead of the current 55 mph, the limit for the 2.3-mile segment of Highway 246 between the Janin Acres neighborhood and Meadowvale Road will be reduced to 45 mph.
That section of road is especially busy since it includes El Rancho Market, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, Santa Ynez Valley Christian Academy, the Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA, the under-construction Golden Inn & Village, the Chumash Casino Resort, and roads leading into downtown Santa Ynez.
Mary Beth Kerr, who has been spearheading a roadway-safety campaign in the valley, announced the reduced speed limit last week after a meeting with local California Highway Patrol Lt. Kurt Kruse.
“The big news is the lowered speed on the dangerous section of 246,” Kerr said on a Facebook page SYV Lives Matter! Project 1 = 4 Way Stop 154/ROBLAR. “It is brilliant news!
“We all want safer roads, and this is part of the solution. Pressing our fellow citizens to abide by this speed and to put safety first on all roads needs to be part of the solution,” Kerr added.
Caltrans District 5 spokesman Jim Shivers said the agency has received several concerns from the community and Buellton-based California Highway Patrol officers.
The concerns centered on the area of Highway 246 encompassing the high school, Shivers said.
Due to the residents’ complaints, Caltrans prepared an engineering and traffic survey to determine if the speed limit could be lowered below the 55 mph statutory level, Shivers added.
Caltrans must conduct such a survey to justify a new speed limit.
The new speed limit will take effect once the 45 mph signs have been installed, Shivers said.
When students are present, the speed limit still will be 25 mph near the schools.
A number of accidents, several fatal, on Highway 154 spurred Kerr and others to lobby for safety improvements, including getting a stop sign install at Roblar Avenue.
But a March tragedy helped widen the focus to include Highway 246 after Santa Ynez Valley Union High School freshman Carina Velazquez was fatally injured when she was struck by a vehicle in front of the campus.
The driver wasn’t charged after the investigation determined she was not at fault for accident.
Led by Kerr, residents also have lobbied for increased enforcement by CHP along the local highways, with another campaign planned this fall.
Kerr said she also hopes to hold a town hall meeting about local road safety issues with participation from local lawmakers and law enforcement members in addition to members of the public.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.