Merced Traffic Committee Meeting Summary – November 18, 2025

The Merced Traffic Committee met on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 2:00 PM in the City Council Chamber. The meeting was called to order at 2:03 PM by Chair Daryl Jordan and adjourned at 2:46 PM. The committee addressed five citizen requests and took action on each, including one item with public testimony.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the Traffic Committee meeting minutes of September 9, 2025, by unanimous vote (motion by Jordan, second by Olson).

Public Comments & Testimony

• El Portal Drive (Item F5): Two residents, Deborah Byrne and Lou Ann Parson, along with Joe Bruce (539 El Portal), spoke on behalf of 39 of 42 households. They described dangerous speeding (up to 55–60 mph in a 25 mph zone), near-misses, past accidents (e.g., hit light pole, knocked-down tree, multiple car collisions), and feelings of unsafety for pedestrians, children, and elderly. They requested traffic calming measures such as speed humps, radar monitoring, lane narrowing, or police enforcement. Joe Bruce noted he had previously brought the issue to the committee four years ago without resolution.

Discussion Items

• Item F1 – Speed Bumps on Buena Vista Drive (R Street to Highway 59): The citizen requested speed bumps similar to an existing speed table. Staff reported 41 accidents in the last five years, mostly at intersections. Public works and planning opposed speed bumps because Buena Vista is a collector road intended for moving traffic, and its existing S-curve design already slows traffic. Fire agreed. The committee voted to have police place the speed trailer when available and to inform the applicant about the city’s process for speed tables, which requires 100% neighbor participation and full neighborhood funding.
• Item F2 – Handicap Accessible Parking on Story Avenue: A citizen asked for a designated accessible parking spot in front of their property due to construction blocking access. Staff noted that on-street ADA spots are permanent, must meet federal slope standards (rarely achievable on public streets), and would not be reserved for the individual household. The committee unanimously denied the request, with a motion to decline.
• Item F3 – Advance Stop Sign at Wardrobe Avenue and West Avenue: The citizen cited four collisions (2020–2022); police records showed 10 accidents since 2020, most recently in 2023. The intersection layout is complex. The committee voted to table the item to a future meeting and directed engineering and public works to gather more details from the applicant (e.g., a completed diagram) and explore options.
• Item F4 – Stop Signs at Donna Drive & San Jose Avenue and Donna Drive & De Anza Avenue: Staff reported zero accidents in the last five years. Public works noted that a speed table project on Donna Drive will begin within two weeks; they preferred to assess its impact before adding stop signs. The committee voted to deny the request, with a motion citing the upcoming traffic calming.
• Item F5 – Traffic Calming on El Portal Drive (McKee Road to Parson Avenue): After public testimony, police presented accident data: 8 at Parsons & El Portal since 2021, plus others at Banbury, Sherwood, and McKee. Public works noted that a recent speed study now allows radar enforcement. Fire opposed speed humps unless designed with cutouts for emergency vehicles. The committee voted unanimously to have police increase enforcement (now permitted) and to have engineering provide the applicant with the city’s speed table application process (neighbor consensus and full cost).

Key Outcomes

• Item F1: Motion to request police speed trailer placement and inform applicant of speed table requirements; passed unanimously.
• Item F2: Motion to deny the handicap parking request; passed unanimously.
• Item F3: Motion to table and have engineering/public works investigate with the applicant; passed unanimously.
• Item F4: Motion to deny the stop sign request pending results of the upcoming speed table installment; passed unanimously.
• Item F5: Motion to support police enforcement (radar now allowed) and provide speed table application information to residents; passed unanimously.
• Committee Reports: Public works reported crosswalk training attended by staff; police announced Sergeant McKinnon’s retirement (April 2026) and Sergeant Fister’s transition in January 2026.