HomeCity Government NewsTraffic Safety Measures Under Way, City Says

Traffic Safety Measures Under Way, City Says

First published in the Feb. 24 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.

The city of La Cañada Flintridge assured stakeholders and the Public Works and Traffic Commission that work to improve signage and visibility near the corner of Foothill Boulevard and Angeles Crest Highway is on the way — and more long-term solutions may be coming.
City Public Works Director Pat DeChellis said short-term improvements will add bollards with turn signs that include reflectors to make them more visible at night, enlarge the sign next to the traffic signal and repaint the pavement markings from the corner of the ACH to the south of the 210 freeway to better inform drivers approaching the intersection. In addition, he noted, a Caltrans proposal could finally address the speeding problem on the highway. Any changes made to the highway north of the 210 must be made by Caltrans.
“I think that we will have on the March agenda a proposal from Caltrans on some long-lasting improvements for Angeles Crest Highway,” DeChellis told the commission in a meeting Feb. 16. “I don’t want to give away what they’re proposing, but it would have a great impact on speeds on Angeles Crest Highway, especially southbound. … Caltrans has got a great proposal. I just don’t know if the funding is in place or the timing is right.”
The changes proposed by Farhad Iranitalab, the city’s traffic engineer, come after two accidents occurred the morning of Nov. 6 at the intersection, which has long been plagued by traffic collisions.

City to Modify Crosswalk Where Pedestrian Was Killed

In other business, city staff is looking to make improvements to the crosswalk at the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and Union Street after a pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle on Dec. 4. The victim was 42-year-old Dolly Suri Anand, a real estate agent and mother of three, and the driver of the vehicle was a 70-year-old woman from the Sunland/Tujunga area.
The accident occurred at around 5 p.m. and visibility may have been an issue, and so Iranitalab proposed the construction of two bulb outs, or curbside extensions, on each side of Foothill Boulevard to narrow the distance between curbs and make pedestrians more visible. The city is also looking to create an overhead flashing beacon to better inform drivers when a pedestrian is crossing.

Staff to Revisit Santa Inez Way, Crown Avenue Intersection

The Public Works and Traffic Commission was not satisfied with city staff’s recommendation to install speed humps on Santa Inez Way and Crown Avenue, and the panel instructed staff to present more data on the intersection at a future meeting.
Nearby residents have expressed concern over drivers speeding near the intersection — which has a curve that lowers a driver’s visibility, endangering pedestrians — and recommended that an all-way stop be implemented.
The city’s public works department investigated the matter and disagreed with community members’ suggestion of the stop signs, so the commission asked city staff to collect speeding data at the intersection.
The city found that most drivers exceeded the speed limit by 5 or 6 mph, a figure that they did not find to be unusual, and so they proposed the construction of speed bumps to mitigate speeding.
However, the panel was not in agreement and felt that the public works department should come back with more data that includes an analysis of the crosswalks near the intersection.
“I don’t think the speed humps are going to do much in assisting that location for speeding because it’s too close to the curb,” said Commissioner Edward Yu. “I think we have a right-of-way issue more than a speeding issue. … I think an all-way stop has merit here at this intersection.”

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