PALMDALE TO WEIGH NEW TRAFFIC MEASURES.

Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer

Speed reductions on Palmdale roads, an additional sheriff's traffic patrol car, and new computer equipment are among recommendations the Palmdale City Council will consider Wednesday to improve traffic safety.

The bulk of the speed reductions being considered are on roads where the speed limit is now 65 mph. Of the 72 segments of road where the limit is 65 mph, the Palmdale staff is recommending that 70 be reduced - 17 of them to 60 mph, 27 to 55 mph, and 26 to 50 mph or less, a city staff report said.

The two segments recommended to stay at 65 mph are 30th Street East between avenues L and M, and Palmdale Boulevard between 47th Street and 80th Street East, the staff report said.

``The high number of speed limit `decreases' is primarily due to the changes in federal and state laws raising the maximum speed limit from 55 mph to 65 mph,'' the staff report said.

The speed limits will be considered at the council's 7 p.m. Wednesday meeting in the council chambers, 708 E. Palmdale Blvd.

Also recommended for a reduction in speed are Palmdale Boulevard between Fifth Street West and Antelope Valley Freeway, recommended to drop from 50 mph to 45 mph; Avenue S between Calle Grillo and Fifth Street East, from 55 mph to 50 mph; and Avenue R-8 between 27th and 30th streets East, from 40 mph to 35 mph.

If the City Council approves the recommendations, the new speed limits would go into effect as soon as new signs can be posted. New signs probably would take a couple of months to be installed, said Tom Horne, Palmdale's traffic engineer.

Council members also will examine recommendations of a traffic safety report prepared by the city staff and the Sheriff's Department.

One of the recommendations is to add an additional patrol car specializing in enforcing traffic laws, to bring the city's total to 11. An additional traffic unit will be included in the 1996-97 budget proposal being prepared by city staff, the report said.

The report also recommends the use of a California Highway Patrol computer program to expedite the writing of traffic collision reports. The program can reduce the writing time by up to 50 percent.

``This means traffic units will be able to return to the field for patrol duties quicker,'' the report said.

Implementing the recommendation would require the purchase of five laptop computers, two desktop computer systems, a laser printer and miscellaneous equipment. Total cost is estimated at $25,000.

The report also recommends the purchase of a laser speed gun, which is target selective as opposed to a radar unit whose beam covers all or most traffic lanes. The laser gun, estimated to cost between $4,000 and $5,000, is not as susceptible to interference as radar guns.

Other recommendations include conducting child-seat and seat-belt checkpoints, conducting child-seat inspections and providing traffic safety education at community events and investigating the use of cameras that take pictures of red-light scofflaws.