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Civic affairs Safety Signs

Speed limit reduction ceremony

City officials came to Canyon Palms on April 8 to celebrate the reduction of speed limits on 36 street segments in Palm Springs.

Mayor Lisa Middleton and State Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, the author of Assembly Bill AB43, explained that the new state law gave cities the authority to reduce speed limits to prevent traffic and pedestrian fatalities and injuries.

They unveiled a new speed limit sign near the corner of La Verne Way and Toledo Avenue. Also attending were the city manager, police and fire chiefs, and officials of ONE-PS and Canyon Palms, which had both made the speed limit reductions a priority. In 2021, Palm Springs had 1,500 traffic collisions resulting in 450 injuries and 16 deaths. That fatality rate was disproportionate to the city’s population and up from an average of nine killed each year since 2013.

In our neighborhood, Toledo Avenue’s speed limit has been reduced from 45 to 40. The higher limit was a result of state law formerly basing limits on traffic engineers determining the speed at which 85 percent of cars travel on a roadway. So roads that speeding made more dangerous automatically got higher speed limits, increasing the risk of fatalities.

Categories
Civic affairs Safety Signs

Traffic safety breakthrough celebration

Categories
Civic affairs Safety

Police meeting with residents

UPDATE from PSPD: “We will now move forward with analyzing the data we collected over 5 days, meet with all PSPD staff members and our business community, and identify our next steps as we move forward. We will come back to the community in the near future with a report on what we have found, and what the strategies will be for the mission that has been defined for the Palm Springs Police Department.”


The Palm Springs Police Department announced the dates and locations of community public meetings with residents and businesses to help shape the department’s future. Meetings will be held in each of the five City Council districts and Council members will be present. The sessions will take place in a structured town hall environment where everyone will have equal input. Community input will help to establish PSPD’s mission and chart their path forward. 

The second part of each meeting is to establish crime-fighting priorities by city area. Chief Andrew Mills is emphasizing a community policing approach of going after the underlying conditions that cause crimes instead of being more reactive.

Meeting times:

  • February 15 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm, Victoria Park, 2744 N. Via Miraleste
  • February 16 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm, Convention Center, 277 N. Avenida Caballeros
  • February 17 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm, Cahuilla Elementary School, 833 E. Mesquite Ave. (OUR DISTRICT 5 MEETING)
  • February 18 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm, Palm Springs High School, 2401 E. Baristo Road
  • February 19 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm, Demuth Park, 4200 E. Mesquite Ave. 

The PSPD crime analyst will provide attendees with crime maps, data on crime trends, and calls for service. If you can’t make the meeting in our Council district, you are encouraged to attend another session on a date that works for you. 

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Civic affairs

ONE-PS Talk of the Town

Topic: Exploring Health Care Resources in a Post-Pandemic Palm Springs

Hosted by the ONE-PS Communications Committee via Zoom on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, 5:30 – 7:15 p.m.

As we look ahead to the health care landscape here in Palm Springs, and as we begin to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and visitors from around the world return to our city, there are myriad health care challenges for our diverse community:

  • COVID vaccination eligibility, access to vaccines (including new options such as mobile sites and non-traditional vaccination sites), and the ongoing challenges of responding to vaccine hesitancy
  • Safe and accessible health care services for seniors
  • Re-engagement with individual wellness / a safe return to preventive health maintenance such as cancer screenings
  • Access to mental health services
  • An expanding role in public health and health equity for our local health care providers
  • Managing new health care concerns of those who have recovered from COVID-19

Join our panel of three distinguished local health care providers for a conversation to better understand what resources and opportunities are available in our community:

  • Richard Ramhoff, Group Marketing Director, Desert Care Network (Desert Regional Medical Center/Hi-Desert Medical Center, JFK Memorial Hospital)
  • Vanessa Smith, Special Projects and Programs Manager, Desert Healthcare District and Foundation
  • C.J. Tobe, Director of Community Health, DAP Health

With this information, together we can become stronger and healthier in a post pandemic Palm Springs.

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89164552779?pwd=T0JOS3JZU0lMT2QvMzl1d3ZNN2M3UT09

Or dial in and use Zoom Meeting ID: 891 6455 2779 Passcode: 312902

Categories
Civic affairs Code enforcement/public works Safety

Code enforcement meeting

The ONE-PS Code Enforcement and Public Works Committee is holding a public meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, May 5, at 10 a.m. Among the topics to be discussed: 

  1. Mayor Pro Tem Lisa Middleton will speak about Assembly Bill 43, Traffic Safety, which would provide more flexibility to local governments in calculating speed limits on roads, and a City Council staff report dated March 25, 2021 regarding formal adoption of an official resolution by the City in support of this legislation at the state level.
  1. Discussion of the code enforcement process by the co-chair of the ONE-PS Code Enforcement and Public Works Committee.
  1. Updates on traffic calming projects, other traffic-related projects, and city building projects by the City’s Engineering Services. (Two approved traffic calming projects in our neighborhood are an all-way stop at La Verne Way and Toledo Avenue and upgrading the stop signs on Toledo Avenue at Maricopa to solar powered LED signs, with a new curb ramp on the north side of Toledo Avenue, and the addition of a two-leg continental style crosswalk.)

To view, listen or participate in the meeting, use the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85929254806?pwd=RDVFdlF1azJNTWZCeUxGL0ZxcTdGUT09,
Or dial in and use Zoom Meeting ID 859 2925 4806, Passcode 019014

Categories
Civic affairs Safety

Virtual Walk Audit

Do you believe that pedestrian safety in our community has room for improvement? Have you wanted to share your concerns? Here’s your best chance.

The Palm Springs Pedestrian and Safe Routes to School Plan Community Outreach Team is holding five Virtual Walk Audits. The sessions will help the city compete for transportation funds to improve pedestrian safety and neighborhood walkability.

Our neighborhood would be part of the District 5 Virtual Walk Audit, to be held with Mayor Pro Tem and our Councilmember Lisa Middleton on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, from 4-5:30 pm. Any one who would like to participate can register at http://bit.ly/PS_District5

Categories
Civic affairs Safety

City approves stop signs and crosswalk

The City Council voted unanimously on Jan. 28 to approve new traffic controls that will benefit pedestrian and bicycle safety in our neighborhood:

  • An all-way stop at La Verne Way and Toledo Avenue.
  • Upgrading the stop signs on Toledo Avenue at Maricopa to solar powered LED signs, with a new curb ramp on the north side of Toledo Avenue, and the addition of a 2 leg continental style crosswalk.

The Council voted 5-0 to accept a staff report that also will establish all-way stops at South Palm Canyon Drive and La Verne Way and at Murray Canyon Drive.

Prior to the vote, Mayor Pro Tem Lisa Middleton praised the neighborhood organizations for helping to get public input, as we did with an online questionnaire and two Zoom meetings. In response to our concerns, she asked that the City Engineers look at whether the intersection of Toledo Avenue and La Verne Way can be better marked to show motorists where the bike lane on Toledo gives way to traffic making a right turn. Our board of directors thanks Councilmember Middleton for her outreach to our neighborhood and for moving these changes through so expeditiously.

To see a video recording of the discussion and the vote, fast-forward to the 58:58 timestamp here: (28) City Council Meeting | January 28th, 2021 – YouTube.

Categories
Civic affairs Events

ONE-PS Talk of the Town

The Organized Neighborhoods of Palm Springs (ONE-PS) is delighted to announce its next Zoom Talk Of The Town: Palm Springs 20/20: Where We’ve Been – Where We’re Going.

This is a presentation highlighting the challenges and accomplishments of the City of Palm Springs over the past 20 years as well as a look at what is in store for the next 20. The presenter will be David Ready, Palm Springs’ city manager for the past 20 years. Hear firsthand from the man who guided us through unprecedented growth and change and learn of his vision for what we can expect in the future.

Join the Zoom Meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 5:30 p.m.https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81872962168?pwd=TmtodHJ1ZjUxcUV4ejAyRmFHNGNNQT09

Meeting ID: 818 7296 2168

Passcode: 472637

You may also the ZOOM presentation via the www.ONE-PS.org.

Categories
Civic affairs

Candidate forum

The Organized Neighborhoods of Palm Springs, ONE-PS, conducts a series of candidate forums for the November 3 election highlighting local races. The forum for Palm Springs City Council-Districts 5, which includes our neighborhood, is available to watch online through Election Day.

Categories
Civic affairs Events Neighborhood activities

Meet Lisa Middleton

The campaign to re-elect Lisa Middleton to the City Council has added a virtual event specifically for Canyon Palms, which is in her District 5. Although Council Member Middleton is running unopposed, she is hoping that you will be able join this event to share your questions, ideas and concerns.

Date: Thursday, October 29, 2020

Time: 5:30 – 6:30 PM

David Vignolo, the secretary and official representative to ONE-PS for Canyon Palms, is hosting the event, billed as a virtual house party. It is open to the public – you don’t have to live in the neighborhood. But you must register in advance by clicking this link in order to receive the Zoom meeting invitation.