Speed humps not approved

By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

The Agoura Hills City Council recently struck a compromise with residents of Country Glen Road in Agoura Hills when the council agreed to stripe the street rather than reinstall speed humps.

The speed humps were installed in 2000 but were temporarily removed as part of the city’s residential overlay project. Apparently, many of the residents who initially promoted the installation of the speed humps had a change of heart. Speed humps are traffic-calming devices that reduce speeding.

Although 60 percent of residents signed a petition against the speed-hump reinstallation in favor of striping (a method that gives the illusion of the street narrowing, which also slows traffic), one said that many of them had changed their minds. A new petition, he said, reflected opposite results.

Bill Heusser, who lives on the corner of Country Glen Road, told council members that he opposed the reinstallation of speed humps on grounds that they’re noisy.

"It’s disturbing to my sleep," Heusser said. While speed humps slow some traffic, the diagonal curve near his home at Patrick Henry Place and Country Glen poses a threat if cars speed over the hump, he said. One car crashed through his fence, Heusser said, and nearly hit his vehicles.

The noise factor was echoed by Ray Mayfield. Speed humps had become an "intolerable source of noise for us," he said.

When gardeners and other service workers drive over the humps with tools and equipment on their trucks, Mayfield said, the noise is unacceptable.

Not everyone agreed about the loss of speed humps.

Rudy C’Dealva, a resident of Jim Bowie Road and president of the Liberty Canyon Homeowners Association, said that speed humps are effective in slowing traffic. He wanted them reinstalled. "Noise from the speed humps are a necessary evil," he said.

Joan Yacovone, a former mayor and councilwoman in Agoura Hills, agreed. Speed humps slow traffic "just enough," she said.

Residents themselves are the problem, said Mayor Dan Kuperberg. "Everyone seems to speed. It’s our neighbors, it’s us who are doing all the speeding." Striping is as effective as speed humps, he said.

Other options to reduce speeding included chokers (which are similar to small islands and are placed at intersections) and more signs. Rubberized speed humps were also mentioned as an option to reduce noise.

The council voted to stripe Country Glen Road as an interim measure and revisit the issue in 120 days.