The City Council unanimously approved an all-way stop at the residential intersection of Crown Avenue and Santa Inez at its meeting Tuesday, after hearing from residents concerned with street safety for the past several years.
Community members at an Oct. 3 meeting asked the Council to hold a public hearing about the installation of an all-way stop at the intersection, which was originally on the consent calendar.
LCF Management Analyst Josh Jeffrey presented the staff report to the Council and gave background to the intersection.
“For context of this, staff began evaluating the intersection for various improvements including visibility, speed and other types of improvements we were hearing from the community,” Jefferey said. “Our investigations began November 2021, and we held several meetings with the Public Works and Traffic Commission where we work iteratively to develop a solution that we feel would help aid those issues that we were encountering with this.”
“Southbound traffic on Crown Avenue is currently controlled by [a single] stop sign whereas eastbound traffic on Santa Inez Way and northbound traffic on Crown are uncontrolled,” the Oct. 17 City Council agenda read.
BACKGROUND
Through an analysis of the intersection, City Traffic Engineer Farhad Iranitalab found that speeding in the north and southbound directions, the intersection’s proximity to the nearby trial crossing and the need to control vehicle and pedestrian traffic justifies the installation of an all-way stop.
After hearing concerns from residents about visibility at the intersection, the city staff developed several solutions in 2021 which were presented at Public Works and Traffic Commission meetings.
“A total of five meetings were held in which the community identified various concerns with the intersection, including visibility, speeding, and pedestrian safety,” the agenda read.
Initially, the city traffic engineer said that the intersection did not justify the installation of all-way stop signs due to a warrant study, but after speeding data was collected, they reviewed the idea of an all-way stop again.
The staff presented results of a speed survey collected in 2022 finding 42% of drivers traveling northbound on Crown Avenue were traveling at speeds higher than the posted limits. The same can be said for 37% of drivers traveling southbound.
The commission went over various options for the intersection after the speed data was reviewed in a meeting last year, which included speed humps and a mid-block crossing.
Speed humps are usually installed when the speed limit is 25 mph or less and the mid-block crossing was related to the trail crossing 150 feet from the intersection.
The traffic engineer did not recommend the mid-block crossing since it would “negatively impact the residential nature of the neighborhood.”
Iranitalab then recommended the installation of an all-way stop at the intersection and it was unanimously approved by the traffic commission.
In a February commission meeting, city staff presented a complete proposal that addressed all of the issues and concerns expressed by residents.
The improvements would include installation of two stop signs, parking restrictions and signage, new striping and pavement markings and the installation of two crosswalks, one on Crown Avenue and another on Santa Inez Way at the northwest side of the intersection.
“The cost of the signage, striping and pavement markings is anticipated to be about $8,000 with funding coming from the state gas tax,” Jeffrey said.
Anticipated recurring maintenance costs of $200 per year will be budgeted in subsequent fiscal years, according to the agenda.
Three residents who live near the intersection came in support of the all-way stop and additional changes and asked clarifying questions related to the parking restrictions, crosswalk, and added enforcement.
“I am glad you are doing this. I think it is fantastic,” LCF resident David Rose said. “I encourage you once you put this up that there is some sort of enforcement, at least initially and periodically just to make sure that people pay attention to both sides.”
He also mentioned the horse trail and suggested adding signs that light up indicating the trail to drivers since he has seen drivers pass by it without slowing down.
Now with the City Council’s unanimous approval, the changes will occur within the next couple of months under a service request to the county.
“I think it’s an obvious good idea,” said Councilwoman Terry Walker, who talked to a couple of residents who live near the intersection and got support for the all-way stop.
“And I want to thank the city, too, because initially this wasn’t the plan going forward, and you and the consultants took into consideration the public input, and went back and did some more testing, took another look at it, and came back with this solution,” she added. “So, kudos to you for having an open mind and listening to our residents.”
First published in the October 19 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
