The city has rejected a proposal to add crosswalks on La Verne Way and Caliente Drive as unwarranted. An engineering study monitored traffic from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 20 and found 75 pedestrians attempting to cross in various directions, including 23 pedestrians crossing La Verne. The Canyon Palms Neighborhood Organization had formally requested a traffic calming solution on June 1. CPNO’s suggested solutions were addition of two high-visibility crosswalks across La Verne west of Caliente and across Caliente on the south side of La Verne, new signage to alert approaching vehicles of the crosswalks, and increased use of neighborhood speed awareness signs, radar speed display units, and targeted police enforcement of current speed limits.
The distance on La Verne Way from the crosswalk at Camino Real to the new crosswalk at Toledo Ave. is about a half-mile. This distance makes it hard for pedestrians to cross safely between Canyon Palms and Twin Palms. Cars and trucks regularly exceed the 40 mph speed limit on La Verne. The city would need property owners’ permission to install radar units that provide visual feedback of vehicle speeds.
With the volunteer help of a lawyer in our neighborhood, CPNO recently obtained the engineering study and related documents. The study included maps showing the obtuse angle of the intersection and a note saying it was “not ideal” for crosswalks. But it appears the crosswalks were deemed unwarranted because the study found a low volume of pedestrians, given the lack of nearby retail, schools or parks. The city also looks at accident data. Of course, there is no way to count any incidents in which pedestrians barely escape being hit. CPNO board members said they would continue to seek solutions before someone gets hit by a vehicle.