Manteca’s streets can be a dangerous place to drive, walk across, or bicycle.

Mayor Gary Singh won’t disagree.

The mayor has heard what everyone who is concerned about it is saying.

He has also experienced it.

And so have his fellow four council members.

That said, Singh is working on a course of action that won’t necessarily be popular with some.
*Generating more revenue — read that taxes – to place more enforcement manpower on the streets.

*Employing proven and cutting edge technology such as new generation of red light cameras.

That is on top of council efforts to have staff make it easier for neighborhoods to trigger a city look at deploying possible traffic calming devices in existing neighborhoods.

And it is in addition to a directive council has given for new development to have traffic calming devices — bulb-outs and such — on excessively long streets as well as by parks and new school campuses.

The push for stepped up traffic enforcement issues comes as a big challenge looms on the horizon: The prospect of upwards of 8 or more years of uninterrupted construction along the 120 Bypass and Highway 99 corridor that is expected to have a severe ripple effect on city streets.

The three-phased $154 million remake of the interchange of the two freeways plus complete replacement of the Austin Road interchange starts in the spring of next year.

It will address serious safety and congestion problems on both freeways approaching the interchange.

But is will also make those looking for “a bypass” of the 120 Bypass as they now do when commute congestion becomes unbearable look more and more toward city streets to maneuver around backups that the construction is expected to sustainably exacerbate.

A short list of those streets include Daniels Street, Woodward Avenue, Atherton Drive, Louise Avenue, Lathrop Road, Yosemite Avenue, and Airport Way.

“It (the construction) is going to create serious traffic problems for Manteca,” Singh said.

Singh is part of the regional effort working to make sure that as soon as one phase is done work can start on the next phase in a bid to get the whole 120 Bypass/Highway 99 solution in place and as quickly as possible.

At the same time he is working with staff to make sure the pitfalls that await Manteca motorists are minimized while also addressing ongoing safety issues on city streets.

Red light cameras

Part of the strategy to improve traffic safety is exploring the deployment of red light cameras at intersections controlled by traffic signals.

Police Chief Steve Schluer noted that while more manpower will help, it is clear that using technology as effectively as possible is key to combatting — and reducing — dangerous driving on city streets.

To that end, the department is working on preparing a proposal for the City Council to pursue a new generation of red light cameras. The goal is to bring a red light proposal before the council in early 2024.

The new generation devices include radar that captures vehicle speeds, six lanes of traffic, and is continuously buffering.

It starts video recording and taking photographs the second a vehicle crosses the limit line once a traffic signal has turned red.

That means a vehicle that enters the intersection on a yellow light would not be videoed.

It allows for the fact there is a slight pause before green lights turn on for the cross traffic.

Schuler noted the most dangerous accident in terms of frequency on city streets when it comes to fatalities, injuries, and property loss are T-bone crashes that predominately happen at intersections.

The overall cost of running a redlight in California is $490.

The jurisdiction issuing the ticket — in this case the City of Manteca — receives 10 percent or $49. In the event of the city going to red light cameras, the cost would be borne by the city. That means the city is highly unlikely to little — if any — money go for department needs besides the cameras system.

More than 50 percent goes to the state while the other 30 percent goes to the court system and county.

It runs contrary to the much repeated myth that cities — at least when it comes to California — somehow use ticket writing as a money making scheme for the city.

As such, based on the city’s 10 percent share of moving violation fines issued in 2022, it generated barely enough money — around $160,000 — to cover the salary and benefits of one traffic officer let alone equipping them.

However, the city is highly unlikely to little — if any — money go for department needs besides the cameras system.

 The real value of the third “E” of the Three E’s of traffic safety — engineering, education and enforcement — is the effect it has on the overwhelming number of drivers that receive tickets.

It usually triggers a change in driving behavior due not just to the cost of the ticket but potential insurance premium increase ramifications that a said ticket often triggers.

Securing more funding

 Manteca is the only city in the region that is pursuing a police, fire, and street maintenance add-on tax for all development that it can encumber.

There is a three-pronged council strategy to ultimately have in place a permanent solution to the city’s historic inability to fund the number of police and firefighters civic leaders believe are necessary to bolster the level of public safety in Manteca,.

*Traditional property and sales tax — along with the Measure M public safety tax — will provide foundational funding for police and fire.

*An intermediate fix could be an added special sales tax the council may put before voters in 2024.

*The police-fire-street tax add-on community facility district for new subdivisions is the long-term solution.

Manteca is the only city in the region that is pursuing a police, fire, and street maintenance add-on tax for all development that it can encumber. The tax stays with the new homes even after they resold.

The 2,735 homes encumbered so far include Villa Ticino West, the 197-home Dutra project southeast of Airport Way and Woodward Avenue, the 870-home Lumina development in the southwest corner of the same intersection, the 738 home Hat Ranch project  as well as the 173-home Indelicato neighborhood just approved on Airport Way immediately north of Del Webb at Woodbridge.

Although, it is just a broad comparison in the general fund budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, the 875 single family home starts in 2022 translated into two additional police officer positions.

It also allowed two part-time positions in animal control and code enforcement be converted to fulltime. That assumes already established development paying property and sales taxes went to cover inflationary public safety costs including pay raises for existing police and fire personnel.

As such, 2,735  homes could be expected to add 10 more public safety related positions. The add-on CFD public safety tax could generate funding for 13 more positions.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com