Merced Traffic Committee Meeting: September 9, 2025
Merced Traffic Committee Meeting: September 9, 2025
The Traffic Committee of the City of Merced met on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 2:00 PM in the City Council Chamber. The committee considered two traffic safety requests, approved consent items, and heard public testimony. The meeting adjourned at 2:41 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the Traffic Committee Meeting Minutes of July 8, 2025 (Item D.1) by unanimous motion.
Public Comments & Testimony
- A member of the public (Brian) expressed ongoing concerns about speeding and safety on West Donner Drive, noting prior meetings with staff and collecting 42 signatures. He requested stop signs at San Jose Street and other locations. The chair recommended he resubmit his request for a future agenda.
- Mary Lou Torres spoke in support of Request #25-26, requesting a four-way stop at G Street and 12th Street. She described difficulty making left turns due to speeding cars and obstructed views from parked vehicles, noting similar stops at 11th and 13th streets but that drivers speed between them.
Discussion Items
- Request #25-26: Four-Way Stop at G Street and 12th Street – The committee reviewed collision data provided by the Police Department. The city engineer noted the intersection likely meets state warrants for a stop sign. However, the committee discussed alternatives, including a right‑in/right‑out restriction and painting curbs to improve sight distance (daylighting). The Fire Department supported the right‑in/right‑out option to avoid delays for emergency response. The committee voted to implement right‑in/right‑out restrictions and paint curbs as a first phase, with further signage considered if safety does not improve.
- Request #25-27: Yield or Stop Signs at H Street and I Street on West 23rd Street – The Police Department reported collision data for the two intersections: at 23rd & H, three accidents (one injury) over five years; at 23rd & I, two accidents (one injury). The data did not meet warrants for stop signs. Committee members noted no sight‑distance issues and that many uncontrolled intersections exist in the area. The committee voted to deny the request, concluding that a yield sign would not address the underlying driver behavior issues.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar – Approved (unanimous).
- Request #25-26 – Approved with a two‑phase approach: first, implement right‑in/right‑out restrictions and paint curbs; later evaluate for additional signage if needed (motion passed unanimously).
- Request #25-27 – Denied (motion passed unanimously).
- Adjourned at 2:41 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Test test. All right, here we go. All right, I want to call this order of the traffic committee to order on September ninth, twenty twenty-five. Roll call. So by departments PD here. Yes. Fire. Yes. Planning. Yes. Public works. Yes. And I am representing engineering. Please remember to unmute your microphones when you're speaking, or unless Laura as you do that, so go ahead, Laura. Members of the audience who wish to address the traffic committee are asked to submit a request to speak form located on the podium at the back of the council chamber and submit it to the clerk ideally before the item is called. Speakers will be allowed three minutes. If you intend on using technology for your presentation, please leave a copy for the record. If it requires action, it will be referred to staff or listed on the next traffic committee agenda. Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you very much by being here. Uh within the past that I have met with Mr. Michael Belton. Remember this gentleman. Thereafterwards, we end up with the other gentleman, Mr. Mike Wigley. He was here. Then we have begun with the new gentleman. Darriel Jordan. That's you, sir. Okay. And of the three people I've spoken with these people before, because of our minor problems from R Street down to West Donner Drive down to M Street. Now, people, when they decide they're going up to Merced College, the people do not want the deal from the main streets from Yosemite Avenue. They won't make those right turns. They drive through West Donner Drive. They're driving multiply so fast, which is ridiculous. Now the city towners said one time they've had this up to uh 35 miles per hour. They took care of that. It's down to 35 miles per hour. But the people, they still do not want to deal with the signal stop lights over there at your R Street and Yosemite Avenue. Then they do the same thing. They don't want to deal down at M Street in Yosemite. They come back through to West Donna Drive again. And then the people they drive too fast. It's unsafe. Now I've done the proper paperwork and I've met with over 42 people. Hand there are their names, street address, everything. And everything was handwritten down with their own thoughts, what they think, and what we do need. But nothing happened. You just become here, sir. But I felt like everything was everything stopped again. The first, the second, and the third time.
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