By Megan Ma

The speed zone surveys that are under way to restore radar gun use on Los Altos streets could also determine whether speed limits change on some streets, said Los Altos Assistant Public Works Director Jim Gustafson.

Los Altos City Council members were angered June 26 over news that mandatory speed surveys on dozens of city streets were outdated and could no longer be enforced with radar guns, an accurate way of nabbing speeding drivers.

The five council members allocated up to $100,000, if necessary, to get the surveys done quickly. The contract for the project is approximately $52,000, Gustafson said.

TJKM Transportation Consultants, based in Sacramento, are measuring speeds on critical roads including El Monte, Magdalena and Fremont avenues, San Antonio and Springer roads, El Camino Real and Foothill Expressway. Those should be completed by the end of the month, Gustafson said. About 38 locations on city residential streets will be surveyed by September.

Speed zone surveys allow cities in the state to set their enforceable speed limits based on measurements such as the density and speed of the majority of traffic.

“It’s too early to forecast what, if any, changes there will be. But our goal is to make as low a speed as can be justified and radar enforced,” Gustafson said.

On setting speeds on city streets, Mayor Curtis Cole said the new speed surveys, last updated in 2002, will probably not call for any drastic changes to speed limits.

“I am confident that staff and contractor are working as fast as possible to get things done … There is not going to be anything new in these speed surveys that we didn’t know years ago,” he said.