A Beverly Hills committee on traffic and parking convened on May 15 to develop a plan of how to address the spate of traffic collisions within the past two months on Loma Vista Drive in the City’s Trousdale area.
The Beverly Hills City Council is scheduled to review the recommendations made by the Traffic and Parking Commission Liaison Committee at a special study session on May 20.
City Hall issued a stop work order in the Trousdale area, according to City staff, “for construction related to heavy hauling pick-up and delivery of materials for 30 days or until measures could be developed to protect against further accidents involving heavy hauling construction vehicles.”
Since March 7, there were three traffic collisions on Loma Vista Drive involving heavy hauling vehicles. Two of those collisions resulted in the death of a Los Angeles police officer.
All three collisions occurred on March 7, May 2, and May 9; coincidentally, each date fell on a Friday.
According to a City staff presentation to the Traffic and Parking Commission Liaison Committee,there were 47 active construction sites in the Trousdale area prior to the May 9 stop work order. Of those sites, 17 of them involved heavy hauling requirements. Projects included concrete work, demolition, excavation, framing, and swimming pools.
City staff added Beverly Hills police issued 99 traffic citations in the first four months of 2014, including 65 for speeding, 12 to drivers of overweight vehicles, and 9 stop sign violations.
A handful of suggestions were made as to how the occurrences of traffic collisions and violations could be diminished on Loma Vista Drive and the Trousdale area.
In the immediate future, City staff recommended suspending heavy haul pickups and deliveries in the area, the posting of signage at all of Trousdale’s entrances, and deploying traffic control officers to manage and monitor circulation.
Looking ahead, City staff recommended the council require construction sites in the Trousdale area be required to submit a detailed hauling plan before work can be allowed. The plan could include a comprehensive schedule of construction and hauling, predefined hauling routes, 90-day truck certifications issued by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), daily vehicle inspections, and permitting.
Broader suggestions for how to improve the infrastructure of the Trousdale area included adding the number of signs in the community, ensuring those signs are visible, adding speed indicator signs, stripe the roads, and request increased CHP assistance for inspections.
Nine members of the public reportedly spoke in front of the traffic and parking committee on May 15 and expressed some concerns of the City’s proposed solutions.
For example, the mass and size of construction trucks was one issue raised. The suggestion of adding signs and striping might not be enough of a solution was another point communicated to the committee.
Further, while trucks have been involved in each of the three collisions since March 7, public commentary pointed out passenger vehicles should not be ignored.
Just the same, while Loma Vista Drive is the center of attention right now, it was brought up that other streets in the area are also cause for concern.
Beverly Hills’ council members will mull over the concerns, issues, and recommendations at the May 20 special study session at City Hall. The session is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m.
