San Juan Capistrano, California Speed Traps

The motorcycle cop hides behind the green electrical box on del obispo just after the school and before Farm to Market. You can’t even see him till after you pass! Sometimes he is also in someone’s driveway on the westbound side. I have seen him there at all times of the day even early Sat AM so beware!

Northern most point of San Juan Capistrano, before Avery Parkway, Mission Viejo. Speed limit 45 mph. Going north, freeway on the L, nothing on R side except construction of buildings. No reason to patrol area except to nail people going to Saddleback College or to work. This was in 2004 and the construction site is still empty in 2007.

CHP is located on the south side of San Juan and they love to ticket here. If you are traveling south bound, just before the Ortega Hwy overpass (just after if you are traveling north but they’re usually monitoring south because of downhill speeds) there is a split in the concrete center divider. CHP backs a cruiser between the two sides of the divider so that you are unable to see them until you have passed. They fly out into the carpool lane and get you. I’ve also seen this done with 2 cruisers – 1 in the divider to take your speed, another just south of the bend to actually pull you over. Reduce your speed at J Serra.

There is a CHP Motorcycle cop that patrols a 1.35 mile stetch of Del Obispo between Alipaz St and Camino Del Avion. The posted is 40MPH, but there are two schools so the 25MPH "when children are present" is also posted. My wife got a ticket there doing 38 MPH in the early evening well after school hours were over. The officer insisted that "children were present." I’ve heard from others that this is his M.O. so be careful.

Mortorcycle unit always there. If traveling east on Ortega, he’ll be on the right side of street after you pass the light at La Novia all the way to Antonio Parkway. If traveling west from Antonio towards La Novia the speed limit goes from 40 to 35 and back to 40 MPH in less than .5 mile. Zero tolerance in this area, as PD wants to remind Ortega drivers that San Juan Capistrano is a quiet "horse" town. When 241 goes through to Basilone Rd in San Clemente that may relieve the congestion and enforcement may lighten up.