Redding, California Speed Traps

A motorcycle cop sits in the shade of the trees and gets you with his radar.

I recently beat a radar ticket on that road. Within short order (January 2014)the city did a traffic survey so it could again justify the use of radar. Problem is they set up their monitoring equipment really close to the traffic light north of Hwy 44 thus most cars are going slowly either for a changing light or having just sat through the light. This is a wide 4 lane road with no cross traffic. Shame of Redding!

I-5 southbound, as you go over 299E (Lake Blvd), the onramp is on your right for people coming off Lake Blvd, getting on southbound I-5, and at the end of the onramp is a gravel turnout that is behind a raised grassy mound. CHP park their vehicles behind the mound where they are not visible, and then the officer steps out from the mound just far enough so that he/she can radar people coming southbound I-5. That stretch of I-5 is a downhill grade. You will pick up speed even if on cruise. They also radar people coming on the onramp accelerating, who may find themselves pinched by a big rig, punch it to get around, and wham! at the end of the onramp it’s too late. I travel this stretch often. As you come down the stretch of I-5, you cannot see the officer at all, and then you will see half of their body and the radar gun aiming at you. I have not seen them radar in this area until beginning about January 2011.

While heading south on Hwy 5, I had my foot off the accelerator coasting downhill into the Redding area. I looked right (from the slow lane) and saw a fellow in the bushes/trees. Behind him were Highway Patrol cars. Oops! Speed trap! I was doing 80 in a 70 zone with cars passing me in the fast lane. I was pulled over behind another fellow getting a ticket. Behind me a semi was pulled in. At that downhill juncture, just before the flat, they could pull people over all day, and I’m sure that they do. (Two cars were pulled over on the northbound side of the freeway, so assume that this trap goes both ways.)

If your heading east on 44 and you pass the Hilltop exit heading toward the Victor exit, look to your right. There is a motorcycle cop that sits on the on ramp from the cars that are coming from I-5N. It is a very clever spot because speed limit is 55mph and does not change 65mph until you round the corner almost to Victor. The opposite side (44w) is 65mph so it is easy to think once you pass hilltop exit it is 65, but it’s not. I mainly see him in the afternoons.

He is hidden way back in the brush area but i made a wrong turn onto Shasta View (a dead end) yesterday and when i turned around to get back on airport road i saw him across the street.

The most pathetic thing is? In the Redding area, we have a city council that feels they can do as they please and use the police as "puppets" to fund their next project- (good god! Palm trees to add what to the look of Hilltop) So the police hand out one questionable ticket after another in hopes of keeping their jobs?

But when the budget cuts hit and they lose their job or wages are cut- they come to us asking us to back them up.

I will proudly stand next to any uniform and fight for the thing to be done- between the citizens and the uniforms- we can eliminate any and all problems that cost us so dearly: palm trees, field of dreams, pay raises for the local city officials and so on.