The Sunnyvale Sun

News

New electronic signs are meant to deter speeders

By JASON GOLDMAN-HALL

Just east of Highway 85 is a frontage road bordered on one side by a high soundwall and Cupertino Middle School on the other. It's relatively hidden from view and free of excess traffic except in the hours just before or after school. The rest of the time, the cars that do go by do so far faster than the posted speed limit, taking advantage of the long, straight stretch of road.

"None of the cars that come through are going 30 miles per hour," said Cupertino Middle School School Principal Kara Butler.

"None of the cars that come through are going 30 miles per hour," she said.

To combat speeding in this area--and all around Sunnyvale--the city recently began a $200,000 installation project that will result in 22 electronic "feedback signs" that show drivers just how fast they are going in bright yellow numbers.

"I think anything that helps us with the safety of our students is a good thing," Butler said.

The signs can also be accessed by city officials to show emergency messages. They store the radar information collected for the city to analyze for future studies.

According to a study done by the Transportation Research Board in 1998, the signs are effective in reducing traffic speed. In Riverside, they reduced speeds by 30 to 35 percent.

"The city's own investigations have confirmed these positive results," said Sunnyvale transportation and traffic manager Jack Witthaus. "These signs capture drivers' attention and awareness. The fact that we've selected signs with flexible programming capability will result in lasting effectiveness."

The project, using city funds, should be finished by October. When completed, Sunnyvale will have 26 signs around town; four are already in place.