Bakersfield city officials to agree with most Grand Jury findings on traffic calming

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Following the Kern County Grand Jury report highlighting the issue of speeding in Bakersfield’s neighborhood streets, the city is looking to re-evaluate its system, according to city documents.

The Bakersfield City Council is set to meet today and vote on a proposed response to the Grand Jury report titled “Traffic Calming for the City of Bakersfield — We Should All Slow Down,” published April 30.

The report outlined several flaws that resulted in higher risks of speeding in the city’s neighborhood areas, as well as suggestions that could help alleviate them.

The Bakersfield Public Works Department is responsible for all aspects of city planning, which includes traffic, the report said.

The City Council and the Public Works Department have to provide a response within 90 days of the Grand Jury report publication, according to the report.

In the proposed response, city officials agreed — to varying degrees — with all of the eight findings except one.

The report said the city doesn’t have a process to routinely review traffic patterns across Bakersfield.

However, officials disagreed, saying the Public Works traffic division staff “constantly monitors” and adjusts to help improve traffic patterns and timing.

They also rejected implementing a new routine review process, arguing city staff already monitor traffic patterns through Bakersfield’s traffic operations center, using loops and cameras at most intersections where congestion can be a problem.

City officials agreed Public Works has not increased Traffic Engineering staff levels, but said some responsibilities have been transferred to other divisions in the department.

New technology like cameras and software also reportedly helps complete work requests quickly in the office, as opposed to sending out employees to the field like before.

Regardless, city officials agreed to have Public Works review its staffing levels for the next fiscal year and determine what they need.

The city also agreed it could be losing trained employees to other regions or companies due to the differences in pay or workloads.

The proposed response said the city has already conducted a citywide study of all positions and salaries in the last five years, specifically for its engineering sections, but will re-evaluate them and see if Public Works needs further changes to its pay equity.

Officials said Public Works and the Bakersfield Police Department will set up annual or biannual meetings between representatives to review and address traffic concerns, according to the document.

According to the response, the city agreed that Public Works and BPD not meeting routinely can create conflicts of interest between the departments regarding speed enforcement and congestion control.

The report said the city website doesn’t have a clear platform where residents can file traffic complaints, including speeding reports, which makes everyone rely on BPD for traffic enforcement.

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While the city agrees there isn’t a clear link or form, the response said residents can make traffic requests via phone or email. The city’s Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program from 2023 included a request form for the public, which the city will work to provide on its website, according to the document.

The city also said it will heed the Grand Jury’s recommendation to work with CSU Bakersfield’s Engineering Department to bring interns into Public Works, who will be responsible for a portion of the workloads and possibly become new city employees in the future.

The City Council is being asked to approve submitting the response to the presiding judge of the Kern County Superior Court during its 5:15 p.m. meeting July 15, at 1501 Truxtun Ave., according to the agenda.

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