Some of the speed limits in Lathrop will soon be changing.

The Lathrop City Council recently approved those changes based on surveys by a California-licensed traffic engineer along with an amendment to reduce the speed limit of streets segments adjacent to parks with the intent of increasing pedestrian safety.

Those segments consist of the following:

·         River Islands Parkways (Champions Park), from Oberlin Avenue to Dell’ Osso Drive. The posted speed limit is 40 mph with the conditional speed limit going to 25 mph.

·         River Islands Parkways (future police station park) to the San Joaquin River Bridge. The posted speed limit is 35 mph with conditional speed limit at 25 mph.

·         Lathrop Road (Woodfield Park), from Fifth Street to Avon Avenue, which currently posted at 35 mph, going to conditional speed limit of 25 mph.

·         Inland Passage Way (William S. Moss Park), from Strawberry Glen Street to Golden Spike Trail. The posted speed limit is 30 mph with 25 mph being the conditional speed limit.

·         Golden Spike Trail (Mossdale Landing Community Park), from Towne Centre Drive to Open Range Avenue. The posted speed limit of 35 mph will go to the conditional speed limit of 25 mph.

·         Open Range Avenue (Mossdale Landing Community Park), from Inland Passage Way to Golden Spike Trail will remain at 25 mph.

At the July meeting, elected leaders requested staff to conduct additional research to speed reduction of those street segments.

The California Vehicle Code allows for local law enforcement to enforce a “prima facie” – based on first sight – of 25 mph adjacent to any children’s playground in a public park but only when children are expected to use those facilities and when signs giving notice of the speed are posted on the regulatory signs