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Laguna Residents Worried About Plan To Increase Speed Limits On PCH

LAGUNA BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Residents are worried about a state plan to increase the speed limits on six stretches of the Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach.

The city council voted unanimously Tuesday night to send the California Department of Transportation proposal, which would increase the speed limit by 5 miles per hour, to the city's Parking, Circulation and Traffic Committee.

KCAL9's Stacey Butler said residents plan to fight it.

"It sounds like racecars most of the nights. You want to enjoy the serenity of beach living, but you have racecars going by…they're going a faster speed limit...that's not fun to live in," resident David Swift said.

"I don't think it's a good idea. I think you're asking for trouble. I think you're asking for more accidents," Caroline George said.

Police said a majority of drivers speed on PCH through Laguna.

Some suspect Caltrans wants to avoid accusations of creating speed traps where the flow of traffic is a lot higher than the set speed limit.

"You see people getting speeding tickets all the time. It doesn't make any difference whether it's 35, 40, 45, they're gonna be going 50 out there. When they can, they will," Daneen Wilder said.

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