New Light Helps Protect Cubberly
By Shereen Oca
Staff Writer
The intersection at Palo Verde Avenue and East Metz Street long has been a site of concern for Fifth District residents and city officials.David Roseman, traffic engineer for the city, and his team have been monitoring the intersection for nearly 10 years. He said residents have complained that vehicles traveling on Palo Verde frequently exceed the posted speed limit of 35 mph and fail to stop for pedestrians crossing the street — many of whom are students who attend Cubberley, a K-8 school located five blocks east of Palo Verde and Metz at 3200 Monogram Ave.
(A crossing guard is there to assist them before and after school.)
Over the last few years, Roseman said the city has upgraded the crosswalk’s signage and marking and increased street lighting. However, he said the changes didn’t make much of a difference. So, the city decided to install a traffic signal, which cost roughly $120,000, at Palo Verde and Metz. On March 3, it was turned on. “The traffic signal is really making a number of improvements,” Roseman said. “Hopefully it will reduce speed through the better control of traffic and make access to schools and the neighborhood easier.”
One of the traffic signal’s features is a special mode called “rest in red.” During the evening, the traffic signal will be red in all directions, and if a vehicle is speeding as it approaches the intersection, the signal will not turn green immediately.
Roseman said the signal will force drivers to slow down or stop.
“The speed limit is 35 mph,” Roseman said. “It wasn’t uncommon to see speeds 15 mph over that, especially during off-peak hours in the evening, mid-day and early morning. Hopefully with the new (signal), we will be able to keep speeds closer to that 35.”
Paul Bauer, a Fifth District resident, has been advocating for a traffic light at Palo Verde and Metz for about seven years. His 11-year-old son attends Cubberley, and before the light was installed, either Bauer or his wife would walk their son to and from school every day. Now, he said he feels comfortable letting his son walk to school alone.
“We’ve noticed big change in speed limit,” Bauer said. “A majority of the traffic has slowed down… I’m still concerned, but I feel 99% more confident.”
In addition to the traffic light at Palo Verde and Metz, the city has installed or is in the process of installing signals at other troubled intersections: Atlantic Avenue and 11th Street near the St. Mary Medical Center; Long Beach Boulevard and 67th Street at Starr King Elementary School; and Studebaker Road and Los Arcos Street at El Dorado Regional Park.
“Each year we go through and evaluate these crosswalks,” Roseman said. “We’re trying to be proactive… We’re trying to get pedestrian accidents down as far as we can.”
No comments:
Post a Comment