Speed lumps are in the works for streets around Sierra High including Winters Drive.

The speed lumps —  basically four smaller speed humps spaced to allow buses and emergency vehicles to straddle them by going down the middle of the road or toward the side of the road — are already in place on Daniels Street, Hacienda Avenue, Tara Lane, and Walnut Street.

The City Council also has signed off on speed lumps along Tannehill Drive (from Ivory Lace Avenue to Fountain Square Avenue and from Vicki Way to Lincasa Place), and along Mission Ridge Drive (from Locust Avenue to Partridge Lane and from Bordeaux Lane to Burgundy Lane).

Mayor Gary Singh said speed lumps are also being weighed for Wawona Street near the Sequoia School campus.

At the same time, the city’s street crew that just recently took delivery of specialized equipment obtained using federal COVID relief funds, are working on repair of transverse cracks — that are often inches wide and yards long — in neighborhoods between Sequoia School and Sierra High.

The goal is for city crews to get as much of the street cracks addressed before weather conditions change into winter mode.

The expansion of speed lumps is the direct result of the current council reducing the red tape that staff needs to deal with to make sure they are justified at various locations  where residents request them.

The work to install the speed lumps is done in house.

The crack repair is the result of the city’s ability to use COVID funds to replace street repair equipment that had become essentially non-functional to allow more work beyond minor asphalt repairs to be done by the city staff instead of contracting it out

The city lacked the funds before the one-time COVID money was available to replace street repair equipment that is so old not only was it breaking down more often than it was working but also is so aged that parts often aren’t manufactured any longer.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com