Category: Signs

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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
Code enforcement/public works Safety Signs

Nearby street safety

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.

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Board and Committees Signs

Blade sign designed

The Canyon Palms Neighborhood Organization board recently reviewed several “blade” sign designs developed over the past several months. Since 2008, the city has allowed its officially recognized neighborhood organizations to purchase blade signs with their neighborhood names to be attached to existing street signs. The neighborhoods choose the locations and pay for upkeep. The signs must meet rigorous specifications.

After an exhaustive review of the blade signage of the other 47 neighborhood organizations, and in consultation with the Office of Neighborhoods, various ONE-PS officials with expertise in neighborhood blade signage, and collaboration with myriad professional designers and branding experts, the board unanimously agreed on the design shown here.

UPDATE 9/2020: Thank you to those who provided feedback on the comment form we had on this post for a few months. The design was approved by the board and city officials. Homeowners and residents of the neighborhood who wish to donate to help pay for the signs may do so here.