Tracy Press

 
A letter writer tells about a road where people drive just too fast.

Valpico is outside city limits, and the Tracy Police Department doesn’t patrol out there.

On numerous occasions, my friend has asked for sheriff’s deputies or the highway patrol to go out and patrol that area, especially around heavy traffic time. Since Tracy has grown, the traffic on and around Valpico Road has gotten crazy.

Unfortunately, at about 4 p.m. July 7, my friend, with her son in her car, was rear-ended as she was turning into her driveway. The 17-year-old who hit her had to be going fast, because the force of the crash knocked her car into the kitchen of her house. Thank goodness, no one was in the kitchen, and no one was seriously hurt.

What’s it going to take before this road is patrolled? I hope people will start to drive slower and more safely — and have more respect and consideration for those who live on Valpico.

Gwen Rodrigues, Tracy

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written by Concerned Parents , July 25, 2008

Good letter Gwen Rodrigues and it is completely true, drivers go too fast on Valpico and this accident was just one of many. Slow down people. TPD/Sheriff please patrol.

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written by Ziggy , July 26, 2008

Please patrol WEST KAVANAGH from Tracy Blvd all the way to Corrall Hollow Rd. THATNK YOU ! (Ps it is a 25 mph zone too)

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written by hahaYouPeople , July 26, 2008

Maybe your friend shoulda yielded better when pulling onto the road.

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written by kchapman , July 26, 2008

Careful what you wish for....
It's a known fact that the people that complain are the ones most likley to end up with a ticket at that
very moment you may be in a hurry. I have seen it happen before.I agree that people should slow down
but people will be people and who's going to pay the tax to hire extra officers to patrol Valpico or any other street.Everyone need to be more defensive in there driving habits and keep an eye on those who could care less because at the end of the day you are responsible for yourself and your family.

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written by Odell , July 26, 2008

How about the people who LIVE ON the road that is beeing used with 'over the top' speed from careless drivers. Yes, take Kavanagh Avenue. The people I see living there are limited to enjoying the neighborhood they live in just because speeders like me and you blast through driving above the posted 25 mile a hour limit. I had several drivers pass me on the way to the mall. I got to the mall only two or three minutes after them. They must have been goint 50 miles an hour ! Lincoln, Corral Hollow and Tracy Blvd's are other place no police are hardly seen.

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written by fortheunderdog , July 26, 2008

"written by hahaYouPeople , July 26, 2008
Maybe your friend shoulda yielded better when pulling onto the road."

The vehicle the writer is talking about was actually slowing down to make a turn into her driveway. She was rearended by another vehicle whose driver was obviously speeding, following too closely, or just being inattentive. Just glad nobody was seriously hurt.

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written by UCoty , July 27, 2008

I could be wrong but if Valpico is a county road then it might fall under county jurisction and then the proceeds from any citations would go to the county and not the City of Tracy. Which might well explain the late night "speed racers" up and down Valpico and lack of speed enforcement.
Thank God Valpico isn't a route to the future sports park.

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written by seehowitis , July 28, 2008

Actually only a very small percentage of money collected for a traffic citation goes to the agency that wrote the ticket. I think it is about 9%. The rest goes to the county for the court house and employees. I am curious how many SO officers we have for the area. Does anyone know?

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written by fortheunderdog , July 28, 2008

I don't know how many deputies are assigned to this area but if it's like other unincorporated areas response time has to be long. If I'm correct in assuming, this area of Valpico is only a rocks throw from Tracy city limits. If Valpico has been surveyed for radar, maybe TPD can to the politically correct thing and enforce the speed limit. Just because it's "out of their jurisdiction" doesn't mean they can't issue citations on that stretch of road. Officers are sworn to uphold the laws of the State of California, not the city they work in. IMHO