Tres Pinos residents concerned about speeding on Hwy 25

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Jeannine Hall, 60, would often sit on a bench outside her hair salon in Tres Pinos, which faces Hwy 25, but the sounds of cars and trucks darting down the highway stopped her from enjoying the green hillsides.

Hall, the owner of J-H Hair Salon, grew up in San Benito County and often wonders what brings people through Tres Pinos.  

She fears that customers visiting her business, which neighbors a gas station, a market and Eva Mae’s Cafe in a small plaza, will back out of the parking lot into the traffic speeding through town. 

“You can ask all the owners here and they’ll all complain,” she said. “It’s a big concern for a lot of people.”

There are times she looks out the window of her salon, which sits a few feet from the highway and can’t tell how fast cars are going, but it’s definitely more than the 35 mph speed limit, she said. 

BenitoLink reached out to Caltrans about the complaints. 

“Based on recent concerns around this area, Caltrans has reopened an investigation to evaluate collisions and possible safety countermeasures to include delineation and signage,” Caltrans Public-Legislative Affairs Manager Jim Shivers wrote in an email.

Since 25 is a state highway, it is maintained by Caltrans.

Caltrans plans to conduct a preliminary field survey in January to measure “the intersection sight distance at Murphy Road to vehicles on SR-25,” and other field observations, Shivers said.

The investigation is expected to be completed in February, Shivers said.

Across from Hall’s salon and over the highway is the Tres Pinos Water District office, where Office Manager Maria Fehl, 59, works in the small building. 

Earlier this year Fehl was rear-ended while attempting to make a left turn onto Hwy 25.

“My car was totaled and I was treated for whiplash,” she said. 

Fehl explained that a Pinnacles park ranger was nearby and stopped the driver, who fled after hitting her car and losing a tire. The driver was eventually arrested and Felh was told the driver was going 65 mph when he hit her. 

As the town has grown, the speeding has gotten worse, Felh added.

Freight trucks, wine trucks and cars normally zoom along the two-lane highway, 

Sitting in her office, Felh said she can hear how fast a car is going by, because the door to the building slightly opens, sounding the tiny bell tied to the door’s handle.

What’s the solution?

While Felh thinks more monitoring, speeding tickets and speed bumps might help the speeding concerns, Hall doesn’t know what will deter drivers from speeding through town.

“Maybe more CHP coverage,” Hall said. 

Hall said she has called the California Highway Patrol numerous times in the past, but said she mostly sees a CHP presence late at night, and usually near the bars in town. 

After many phone calls to the CHP, a portable speed sign was placed in town, but later removed, Hall said.

Now, only two signs, one on each end of town, informs drivers of the town’s speed limit.

“Signage is well marked on both sides so there is no excuse,” Hall said.

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