- Home
- Departments
- Development Services
- Traffic Engineering
Traffic Engineering
Making Our City Safe
The primary responsibility of the City's Traffic Engineering Division is to resolve transportation and traffic-related issues in the City. This division is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the City's computerized traffic signal system to ensure optimal timing of the City's 56 traffic signals.
The Traffic Engineering Division oversees a wide variety of transportation and traffic-related activities including:
- Signal design and construction
- Signal timing and operations
- Establishing design criteria for street lighting systems
- Processing traffic control plans for all construction activities within the right-of-way
- Providing roadway signing/striping design parameters and ensuring proper installation in accordance with State regulations
- Reviewing roadway segment and intersection capacity analyses for system improvements to meet the growing demand on the City's circulation system
- Responding to traffic-related public complaints
- Serving on the Traffic Safety Committee
- Reviewing Private Development Projects
Traffic Calming
Speeding can occur anywhere in the City. To report speeding concerns, residents can contact the Poway Sheriff's Department to request additional enforcement at 858-513-2800. Residents can also contact Traffic Engineering and let us know about the problem. You can learn more about traffic calming measures in the Neighborhood Traffic Calming brochure. Traffic calming is the combination of policies, education, enforcement, and implementation of measures that help reduce speeding problems and heavy traffic flow on residential streets. A neighborhood petition is required for staff to begin an evaluation of potential traffic calming measures.
Speed Feedback Signs are a common request for higher volume streets with speeding concerns. They provide drivers with a reminder of their current speed in relation to the established speed limit on the street. The City has established criteria for installation of this type of signage and not all locations will be appropriate for an installation. Residents can submit a request form for a new permanent speed feedback sign. Once the request form and required petition are received, staff will complete an engineering evaluation. After the evaluation, staff will present evaluation findings to the Traffic Safety Committee. Installations recommended by the Traffic Safety Committee must be approved by the City Council and are subject to funding availability.
The Poway Sheriff’s Department has a portable speed feedback sign that is placed in various locations throughout the City as a temporary reminder of vehicular speeds. Requests for placement of the portable speed feedback sign can be made by emailing us.
Stop Sign Requests
Stop Signs are a common request for residential neighborhoods with speeding concerns. Stop sign installations must meet criteria established in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD). While speed is one of the established criteria, it is not the only one and stop signs should not be installed as a traffic calming measure, per the CA MUTCD. Residents can submit a request form for a stop sign evaluation. Once the request form and required petition are received, staff will complete an engineering evaluation. After the evaluation, staff will present evaluation findings to the Traffic Safety Committee. Installations recommended by the Traffic Safety Committee must be approved by the City Council.
Contact Us
To contact us, please call 858-668-4668, or email us. Please include your name, address, and daytime phone number, and provide as much information as possible relating to your question, complaint, or concern.
Or you may submit a service request.