Sharon Road residents will get speed humps -- at their own expense Sharon Road residents will get speed humps -- at their own expense (January 19, 2005)

By Marion Softky

Almanac Staff Writer

Three speed humps to slow traffic on Sharon Road are shaping up as a test case on whether San Mateo County can, fairly and equitably, allow residents to pay for public improvements.

Residents along the bumpy neighborhood road with no sidewalks or street lights are so tired of cars whizzing up the hill -- scaring school kids, dog walkers, and people trying to back out of their driveways -- that they are willing to pay for speed humps out of their own pockets.

On January 11, they got cautious permission from the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors to pay the county $7,200 to install three speed humps on the two-block stretch between Cloud Avenue and the traffic light at Alameda de las Pulgas.

"Should the county accept money from a group of citizens to do a public works project?" asked board President Rich Gordon. "I want to look closely at the policy to see that we're not disenfranchising poor neighborhoods in favor of those who pay."

Ram Velaga, spokesman for the Sharon Road property owners, argued that their contribution will help, not hinder, similar projects elsewhere. The Sharon Road speed humps meet all the criteria to qualify for a public project, he told the Almanac. "This makes public funding available for other qualified streets."

The supervisors directed the county counsel to come back with a proposed policy setting conditions for allowing private financing of speed control devices that meet the county's criteria in cases where there are more applications than available funding can pay for.

"We're looking at a second tier of projects that are not funded," said public works director Neil Cullen.

Unlike Menlo Park, which has been arguing about speed humps and other traffic-calming devices for years, the county is just getting started. It established a policy for speed humps and dips in late 2003, and sent out notices inviting community and neighborhood organizations to apply by April 30, 2004. It budgeted $50,000 for the first year.

Five applications met the primary criterion that 20 percent of the traffic goes more than 5 miles an hour over the speed limit.

Now, speed humps are slowing cars down on Orange Avenue in unincorporated West Menlo Park, Berkshire Avenue in North Fair Oaks, Santa Clara Avenue in the Sequoia Tract between Atherton and Woodside Road, and two other streets in Montara and South San Francisco.
Sharon Road

But Sharon Road missed out. Not having an official homeowners association, residents never received the county notice; they missed the deadline.

After receiving their application, the county did traffic and speed counts and found that Sharon Road qualified for speed humps.

"We get 1,600 to 1,800 cars a day, and 30 percent are going 5 miles above the speed limit. Some are going 45 to 50 miles per hour," Mr. Velaga told the Almanac. "This is an accident waiting to happen."

About 10 residents came to the supervisors meeting last week. They particularly worried about the children who walk along Sharon Road on their way to La Entrada School, and the people walking dogs to the off-leash area at the school.

They noted traffic has become worse as people trying to bypass the construction bottleneck at Sand Hill Road race up the hill to make the stop light at Sharon Road and the Alameda.

This is a very modest neighborhood with a lot of elderly people, Gretchen DeStefano told the Almanac. "This isn't a bunch of rich people buying something they're not entitled to," she said. "And not everybody has to pay. The contribution and the amount of the contribution are truly voluntary."

"We've been complaining about this for years," said Cass Rhymes. "It's just getting worse and worse and worse. ... This gives us a chance to reclaim our neighborhood."

Meanwhile, the county is evaluating 10 more requests for speed humps to qualify for funding in the next fiscal year, Mr. Cullen said. They include applications for Gordon Avenue in unincorporated West Menlo Park, and several streets in Emerald Lake Hills.

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