Rumble strips installed to deter street racing in Chatsworth

CHATSWORTH, Calif. (FOX 11) - In an effort to combat illegal street racing, rumble strips were installed Wednesday in Chatsworth.

The strips were placed on Plummer Street between Canoga Avenue and Topanga Boulevard, which is a frequent site for street racing and an area where two spectators were killed in 2015.

The problem has become so prevalent, officials said the area has become known as the "Canoga Speedway."

"Illegal street racing is dangerous and has resulted in the injury or death of both participants and bystanders," Councilmember Mitchell Englander said. "These new rumble strips have the potential to prevent such activity before it begins by making the road unsuitable for racing without impeding the regular flow of traffic. We are also sending a message that our neighborhood streets are not race tracks and that we will not tolerate the kind of reckless activity that puts people's lives at risk."

Englander submitted a motion in May to provide funding to test the use of rumble strips as a potential deterrent to illegal street racing.

The Plummer Street installation marks the first time the technology has been used to combat street racing in Los Angeles. If the pilot project proves to be successful, officials said rumble strips could be used in other areas where illegal street racing is a frequent problem.

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