Palomar Mountain residents form group to stop speeding motorcycles

By: EDWARD GRAHAM - Staff Writer

PALOMAR MOUNTAIN ---- A new residents group is forming on Palomar Mountain to lobby law enforcement and elected officials for a crackdown on motorcycle riders who break the speed limit, residents said this week.

Motorcycles racing at high speeds and with extra-loud, modified exhaust pipes have plagued residents of the quiet, remote mountain for years, said Bonnie Phelps, a resident and publisher of a mountain newsletter. But, she said, the problem has become more severe recently. She also said that some residents who have tried to stop the problem have been threatened.

"We had a small committee for the last few years concerning the motorcycles, but one chairman was threatened and many members became very frustrated and quit, so we needed a fresh start," Phelps said. "Now we have new people."

The head of the residents group, who did not want to be identified because of threats others have received, said he wanted to tackle the motorcycle issue as quickly as possible because of the safety hazards it poses for mountain residents.

"Most residents are really upset about this and are talking about speed bumps and all kinds of drastic things," the resident said Wednesday. "We recognize that the problems are coming from a few bad racers who are spoiling it for everybody, but our first concern is public safety."

Palomar Mountain fire Chief George Lucia said he is worried about firefighter availability as well as collisions.

"My issue is public safety," said Lucia. "I don't want the bikers to hurt themselves or get in a crash with a resident driving (on) the mountain, and I don't want firefighters to be tied up on a motorcycle crash if a resident is having a heart attack at the top of the mountain."

The leader of the residents group said that he has been contacting local politicians in an effort to increase the presence of law enforcement on the mountain, and has met with initial success.

California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Tom Kerns said that the highway patrol teamed up with the San Diego Sheriff's Department for a detail last weekend, and that plans are in the works for a task force to tackle the problem.

Funding will come from a federal Reduction of Street Racing grant that will give the Oceanside highway patrol office enough money to pay for 260 overtime hours for officers, 102 overtime hours for sergeants and 10 clerical overtime hours, Kerns said.

The use of overtime hours to handle such projects is a standard practice, Kerns said.

The extra patrols will be called the Strike Group, Kerns said. Along with the Sheriff's Department, Kerns said he will also invite the North County Traffic Safety Council to participate in the enforcement.

Comprised of nine area law enforcement groups, including the Sheriff's Department and the Escondido Police Department, Kerns said that the council would have to find a way to pay for its participation.

Kerns said that the next day the Strike Force will be operating should be on Sunday, May 1.

Another solution to the speeding problem would involve slowing all vehicles that drive the mountain, the residents group leader said.

"The best idea I have heard so far for slowing down the motorcycles would involve legally lowering the speed limit on the mountain from 55 miles per hour to 35 miles per hour," the resident said. "That way, anyone who went 55 miles per hour would be committing a reckless driving offense and the motorcycles could be impounded for 30 days and fines could cost up to $1,200."

The group leader said he wants to enlist up to 200 residents in the effort against speeding, and that after dealing with the motorcycle issue, he would like the group to address other mountain traffic issues, including problems with commercial trucks.

 

This is why I stay off of Pally. There are better places to go. I doubt the speed limit change would happen. That would be a hinderance to the residents also.

 

That sucks. They lowered the speed limit on my road from 50 to 45. Whoopdeedoo. 5 mph. That'll slow people down.

 

Old news....

This happens every year.