TAC recommends radar recertification of Burma Road speed limit

San Diego County’s Traffic Advisory Committee has recommended that the 45 mph speed limit on Burma Road between Olive Hill Road and Luneta Lane continue to be certified for radar enforcement.

The TAC’s April 26 recommendation will require ratification by the San Diego Board of Supervisors, who are scheduled to consider the radar recertification July 10. The segment from Olive Hill Road to Luneta Lane covers 0.63 miles.

In order for a speed limit to be enforceable by radar, a speed survey must show that the speed limit is within an adjacent 5 mph increment to the 85th percentile speed. Periodic recertification, including a supporting speed survey, is required for continued radar enforcement, and the Department of Public Works or a DPW contractor typically conducts speed surveys every seven years. The speed limit may be rounded either up or down from the 85th percentile speed. The speed limit may also be rounded down an additional 5 mph if findings are made that the road has conditions which would not be apparent to a motorist unfamiliar with the road.

Burma Road is a two-lane roadway with 24 feet of travel way width and a road bed width of 30 feet. It is striped with a double yellow centerline and white edge striping. Burma Road is not classified on the mobility element of the county’s general plan.

A traffic survey for Burma Road was taken 500 feet west of Olive Hill Road, Dec. 11, 2018. The 1,881 vehicles consisted of 949 eastbound and 932 westbound motorists. The greatest hourly volumes were 238 drivers between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., 185 motorists between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., 180 vehicles between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., and 166 drivers between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. The previous traffic survey was taken in October 2011 when 2,540 vehicles crossed the survey point.

Two collisions, neither of which involved injury, were reported on that stretch of road during the 36 months from Jan. 1, 2016, to Dec. 31, 2018. The collision rate of 1.62 per million vehicle miles exceeds the statewide average of 1.19 for similar suburban two-lane conventional roads with speed limits between 45 mph and 55 mph.

The speed surveys were taken 580 feet east of Cazador Lane. The 2011 speed survey had an 85th percentile of 48.5 mph with 54.7% of the drivers traveling within a 10 mph pace of 39-48 mph. The 2018 speed survey was taken Dec. 4, between 11:45 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. The 85th percentile speed was 45.4 mph and 54% of the drivers were within a 37-46 mph pace. The most frequent speeds were 39 mph with 15 drivers, 45 mph with 14 motorists and 37 mph with 13 vehicles. The three fastest motorists were one traveling 55 mph, one driving 54 mph and one at 51 mph. Two vehicles at 21 mph and two at 22 mph were the slowest.