Palo Alto, California Speed Traps

If going East Bound on Hanover which means going over the hill next to HP, going down the hill there is a trap next to Varian Technology. This trap has been here for many years that I know about. One day going by I saw three cops handing out tickets around the time for the lunch crowd! I believe this trap has been here for many years!

Southbound on Alma, as you approach San Antonio, there is often one or two parked police cars hiding in the church parking lot on the leFort They sometimes work alone, but they also sometimes work in tandem with 2-3 motorcycle units that are hidden under the San Antonio overpass on the right a few hundred feet down from the church. When they are working together, the cars will radio to the motorcycle units who are waiting to issue tickets.

The speed limit on this section of Alma is 35, but most people travel around 40-45. It’s easy to get into a false sense of security when you pass the police cars in the church parking lot and think you are safe when they do not come after you, only to find the motorcycle units waiting up ahead.

While this setup is primarily for southbound traffic, it can work for northbound traffic too, where the speed limit changed from 45 to 35 as Central Expressway becomes Alma.

To be safe, always slow down to 35 as you pass San Antonio (northbound), or pass the church (southbound).

This one goes on Arastradero from El Camino Real all the way to Foothill Expwy. There is actually a radar sign installed just outside the Alta Mesa graveyard. Most of the time, this is enforced when the busiest school traffic takes place. In the early morning and afternoons, sometimes even in the evening. Cops like to hide in the small roads and driveways off of Arastradero and catch speeders that pass the 25 mph limit on a 4-lane two-way road.

Just past the fire station on Embarcadero road, on the right, there’s a church parking lot. Motorcycle cops like to sit at the edge of this lot and write tickets. Embarcadero "Expressway" is 4 lane, divided, and a crazy 25mph limit (due to residents clamor) from 101 all the way to Stanford. Almost no one goes 25 on this major "Expressway." Cops can write just about anyone they choose on this road….

patrol car or motorcycle will park in driveways to capture excessive speeders on this four lane undivided roadway where the speed limit is 35 but traffic reularly exceeds 40