Council Decision Includes Coordinated Plan for
‘Engineering, Education, and Enforcement’
To Promote Pedestrian Safety
City’s Public Safety and Transportation Commissions
Will Convene Joint Meeting on Sept. 15
WEST HOLLYWOOD, September 8, 2014 – The City Council of the City of West Hollywood voted at its meeting tonight to pass an item directing City staff to develop a signalized crosswalk installation plan for Santa Monica Boulevard between San Vicente and La Cienega Boulevards. The decision also requires all crosswalks citywide to be comprehensively studied to identify additional potential locations for improvements.
The City will immediately develop a coordinated plan for “Engineering, Education, and Enforcement,” which will be presented at a joint meeting of the City’s Public Safety Commission and Transportation Commission, to take place on Monday, September 15, 2014. The joint meeting will provide input and comment on the plan, which will then move to the City Council for review at its meeting on October 6, 2014.
“Tonight West Hollywood took a big step toward improving our walkability and pedestrian safety. Cities across the nation are struggling with the ways that new technologies, such as smart phones, impact how we share public space.” said West Hollywood Mayor John D’Amico. “Distracted driving and, now, ‘distracted walking’ are very real concerns. Tonight’s decision will help us engineer better crosswalk solutions and educate community members about stepping up awareness when it comes to driving and walking on our City’s streets and crosswalks.”
“We are constantly looking for ways to make West Hollywood safe and accessible,” said Mayor Pro Tempore John Heilman. “This is just one option that we think can help with pedestrian safety without increasing traffic and gridlock.”
Public safety is the City of West Hollywood’s number-one priority. The constant movement of dense vehicular traffic and pedestrians in close proximity is an ongoing struggle in West Hollywood and in cities across the nation. The City is continuously exploring a mix of measures to address pedestrian safety and manage traffic congestion and gridlock.
A review of Sheriff’s Department data from Saturday, January 1, 2011 to Monday, September 8, 2014, indicates there were 83 vehicle vs. pedestrian accidents in crosswalks within the City of West Hollywood. There were three pedestrian fatalities during this time period — the investigations in two of these cases faulted the driver and the third investigation is ongoing. Deputies from West Hollywood Sheriff's Station regularly issue citations for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk; 752 citations were issued during the time period from January 1, 2011 to June 30, 2014.
At its meeting on Monday, May 7, 2012, the West Hollywood City Council directed staff to conduct a trial test of Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons (RRFB) at the crosswalk located on Westmount Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard. The RRFB devices were installed in December 2012. RRFB devices were also tested at two otherunsignalized crosswalks: 1) Santa Monica Boulevard at Orange Grove Avenue; and 2) Crescent Heights Boulevard at Norton Avenue. The City conducted before-and-after studies for the RRFB devices and improvements in safety were measured.
On Wednesday, November 20, 2013, the City’s Transportation Commission supported a staff recommendation to maintain RRFB devices and at its meeting on Monday, February 3, 2014, the City Council approved a staff recommendation to keep RRFB devices at the three trial test locations. Additional RRFB devices were approved, but it was determined to hold off on installation plans pending review of additional strategies for pedestrian safety.
At its Monday, March 3, 2014 meeting, the City Council approved a date for a joint mobility workshop and study session with the City’s Transportation Commission — this meeting was held on Monday, May 5, 2014. During that session, several options were discussed at length to promote pedestrian safety and aid in vehicular traffic flow. Following that meeting, the City contracted with Fehr & Peers, specialists in providing transportation planning and engineering services, to evaluate further opportunities to improve safety where pedestrians and automobiles conflict. The complete Fehr & Peers study will be presented at the upcoming joint meeting of the City’s Public Safety Commission and Transportation Commission, to take place on Monday, September 15, 2014. The City Council will review this report for its meeting on October 6, 2014.
For more information about pedestrian safety, including safety tips for walkers, visitwww.weho.org/pedestriansafety.
For additional information about pedestrian safety in the City of West Hollywood, please contact the Public Safety Division at (323) 848-6414 or the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station at (310) 855-8850. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
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