This weekend, Councilmember Caroline Torosis announced that the City of Santa Monica will install a 4-way stop sign at the intersection of Idaho and 19th Street where two crashes occurred within weeks of one another, one of which was fatal. The stop signs, and “Cross Traffic Does Not Stop” signs at 18th and 21st streets on Idaho will be installed no later than one week from today.
“This is just the beginning of making our streets safer,” Torosis promised in the newsletter.
The announcement comes just days after the City Council unanimously passed a motion calling not just for a safer intersection, but a review of intersections and other high traffic areas across the city. The motion called for a renewed effort for the city to put safety at the center of its transportation planning in an effort to reach its stated goal of zero traffic deaths by 2026.
A full list of the proposed policies the council approved can be found here :
• Immediately initiate engineering analysis of outstanding community requests to upgrade intersections to all-way stops, with the intersections on Idaho Avenue to be prioritized.
• Develop and publish locally tailored City of Santa Monica guidelines for upgrading unsignalized intersections to all-way stop-controlled intersections that further our City’s adopted goal of zero fatal and severe-injury crashes.
• Upgrade the portal through which residents can report a dangerous intersection, allowing for staff to determine a variety of possible safety interventions, including all-way stops, traffic circles, and diverters. In all such analyses, the determination that furthers our City’s adopted goal of zero fatal and severe-injury crashes shall be recommended whenever possible.
• Establish criteria for the use of “Cross Traffic Does Not Stop” warning signs at two-way stop-controlled intersections that are not recommended for conversion, and develop an installation plan and timetable for such signage on intersections that meet the criteria.
• Establish a regular meeting series between the Santa Monica Police Department and Department of Transportation to review traffic safety enforcement priorities, including locations and violations of highest concern, and capacity for reallocation of enforcement resources to priority areas and violations.
• Refresh the City’s popular “Take the Friendly Road” roadway safety messaging campaign and initiate a new push of community messaging, including, but not limited to, bus ads, public service announcements, digital media efforts, and physical collateral.
• Develop and submit a proposal in the upcoming biennial CIP process that evaluates and proposes safety countermeasures including the creation of “daylighting” zones to address illegal parking that obstructs sightlines, with a focus on priority unsignalized intersections as identified in the 2022 Local Roadway Safety Plan.
• Identify shortfalls in resources, if any, required to implement these vital safety measures, and consider possible sources of funding needed beyond any CIP dollars requested per the above item, including, but not limited to, transportation impact fees, administrative fines for parking violations, the parking facilities tax, and any available grants.
