Sheriff: Speed Limit on Saratoga Avenue at Fruivale is 25 Miles Per Hour

On Thursday, we posted an article asking our readers if they knew the speed limit on Saratoga Avenue after exiting Highway 85 and driving southwest to Saratoga Village.

The speed limit on Saratoga Avenue is 25 miles per hour on the south side of Fruitvale Avenue and 40 miles per hour on the north side, said Santa Clara County sheriff's captain Kenneth Binder.

Agreed Saratoga traffic deputy Galazzo, who said the speed limit is 35 mph, but changes to 25 mph when school is in session and kids are visible.

Also, traffic deputies do parking enforcement at the Los Gatos Library, 13650 Saratoga Ave., as well as speed and other safety violations for vehicular traffic within Saratoga, Binder added.

But take note, the speed limit drops to 25 mph as Saratoga Avenue nears Scotland Drive and Fruitvale Avenue where clearly posted school-zone signs are on the road.

As drivers leave this highly congested area due to traffic at Saint Andrew's Episcopal School, the library, and Redwood Middle School, the speed limit increases to 35 mph.

In Saratoga Village, the speed limit is said to be 30 mph, said Shaheen Sarwari, administrative assistant to Saratoga's Public Works Department.

Saratoga Public Works Director John Cherbone answered our question last week in our post, and we're reposting his comment here so everyone is clear about the speed limit around the city.

Cherbone said most Saratoga streets have a 25 mph speed limit. In all
residential and business districts where a limit is not posted, 25 mph is the implied limit, he said.

"Speed limits on higher capacity streets including major collector and arterial streets, like Saratoga Avenue, are set based on engineering and traffic surveys that include a review of speed data, design parameters, and operational issues," he wrote.

"Traffic engineers rely on the 85th percentile rule to help establish speed limits on streets such as Saratoga Avenue. Typically, the speed limit is set to the speed that separates the bottom 85 percent of vehicle speeds from the top 15 percent. For example, if speeds of 100 vehicles are measured and 85 vehicles are traveling at 37 mph or less, the speed limit for the subject street could be set at 35 mph.

"The City Council approves a traffic engineering study every five years that establishes the legal speed limits for all non-local roads including Saratoga Avenue that is based on the 85th percentile rule. Sheriffs cannot legally enforce a speed limit that was not established by the 85th percentile rule."

Cherbone said the next traffic engineering study that establishes speed limits will be submitted to the Council for approval this year.

He directed readers to Saratoga's Traffic Safety Commission's web page to learn more about traffic issues.

We asked last week and ask again .... should Saratoga Avenue's speed limit be adjusted by the Saratoga City Council?