Flashing Speed Signs Slow Motorists Down
 By GAIL WESSON
The Press-Enterprise
Riverside County and some cities are using radar speed feedback signs in their efforts to get motorists to slow down.
Used in urban areas for several years, now Riverside County is using the digital signs in rural areas.
The signs display the motorist’s speed. If the motorist exceeds the speed limit, a message flashes “slow down” and a white light pulses. The device can be set to flash at a certain speed above the limit.
The goal is to alert motorists about their speed, according to Lawrence Tai, traffic engineer with the Riverside County Transportation Department.
“We just finished with the four VCalm®s on the Ramona Expressway a few weeks ago,” he said. The signs are in unincorporated Lakeview between San Jacinto and Lake Perris.
 Earlier this year, the county erected two pairs of signs along Gilman Springs Road, between San Jacinto and Moreno Valley.
With cities erecting more ticket-generating red light cameras, some motorists have asked about the feedback signs.
“No, there is no camera there,” said Tai. “A lot of comments we received are that people have slowed down. How long that will last we don’t know.”
Riverside County has obtained encroachment permits from Caltrans to install them on some state highways, Shelli Lombardo, Caltrans spokeswoman, said by phone.
Locations include Highway 371 in Anza through the community’s business district, and Highway 60 between Moreno Valley and Beaumont. Fifth District County Supervisor Marion Ashley has suggested more traffic safety measures for Highway 79 through Lamb Canyon north of San Jacinto, including the feedback signs. The effectiveness of feedback signs on highways is being evaluated, according to Tai.
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