Tag: Fountain Avenue

WEST HOLLYWOOD—On Friday, September 26, the city of West Hollywood announced that additional steps are being taken to improve traffic safety as part of our WeHo Target Vision Zero Action Plan.

On Fountain Avenue, the speed limit has been reduced from 35 to 30 mph, adding to measures like left-turn restrictions and upgraded pedestrian crossings in busy areas.

Near-term improvements will include Leading Pedestrian Intervals, which will give walkers a head start before cars get a green light, and certain signals placed in recall mode to help calm nighttime speeding.

The West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station will also continue targeted enforcement to keep roadway users safe. A larger streetscape project is underway to make Fountain Avenue safer for all.

Data shows that 64 percent of the traffic on Fountain does not have an origin or destination in West Hollywood, which means that most drivers are just passing through. This presents an opportunity to develop a future Fountain Avenue that is more local-serving and safer for everyone, with wider sidewalks and improved access for those walking, biking, and in wheelchairs.

A feasibility study was completed in 2022 to envision a future for Fountain Avenue. Over 1,400 people responded to the community survey – 60 percent of respondents chose a protected bike lane and widened sidewalks as their preferred vision.

The project will be implemented in two phases, allowing the city of West Hollywood to implement safety improvements quickly while seeking funding for the long-term vision. Phase One will implement a protected bike lane. Phase Two will implement the sidewalk widening and landscape improvements. Design for Phase One started in Fall 2023.

Residents are asked to stay engaged and share feedback at www.go.weho.org/fountain.

 

By Danny Jones

WEST HOLLYWOOD—The Los Angeles County West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station noted on July 11 that traffic investigators are investigating the circumstances of a fatal hit-and-run traffic collision involving a white older model BMW sedan and a bicyclist.

The incident transpired at the intersection of Fountain Avenue and Gardner Street in West Hollywood.

Preliminary information indicates the bicyclist was traveling westbound on Fountain Avenue when the white sedan traveling westbound on Fountain Avenue crashed into the bicyclist. The white sedan fled the scene westbound on Fountain Avenue.

The bicyclist was transported to Cedars Sinai Hospital where he died from injuries sustained. The name and age of the victim has not been disclosed to the public. The white BMW sedan is expected to have a shattered windshield on the passenger side of the vehicle.

The cause of the collision is under investigation. It is unknown at this time if alcohol or drugs played a role. Anyone with details about the incident should contact the Traffic Investigators at West Hollywood Sheriff’s station at 310-855-8850.

By Danny Jones

WEST HOLLYWOOD—The city of West Hollywood indicated in a press release on Wednesday, January 3 that it is in the process of reducing the speed limits on N. Fairfax Avenue and on Fountain Avenue, west of Fairfax Avenue from 35 miles per hour to 30 miles per hour, after the results of a recently conducted Engineering and Traffic Survey (E&TS).

The city noted new speed limit signage will be installed, and new speed limits will be enforced starting in early 2024. Speed limits in California are governed by the California Vehicle Code (CVC), which states that an E&TS must justify the speed limit on all streets other than local streets if enforcement of the speed limit involves using radar or any other electronic device.

In West Hollywood, 24 street segments are not classified as local streets, and those streets require an E&TS to justify the posted speed limits. The city recently retained a traffic engineering consulting firm to prepare a 2023 survey. The State of California guidelines for setting new speed limits, revising existing speed limits, and/or maintaining existing speed limits include the following items: prevailing speeds as determined by traffic engineering measurements; collision records for the most recent two years; and roadway, traffic, and roadside conditions not readily apparent to the driver (i.e., pedestrian activities, bicycle routes, on-street parking, proximity of schools, land use adjacent to the roadway, etc.).

The survey results note that the posted speed limits for 22 of the 24 street segments that were evaluated will remain unchanged. The study indicates speed limit should be reduced on two street segments: N. Fairfax Avenue between the north and south city boundaries (at Fountain Avenue to the north and Willoughby Avenue to the south); and at Fountain Avenue between N. La Cienega Boulevard and N. Fairfax Avenue.

To comply with state law, the posted speed limits on these two street segments will be reduced by 5 miles per hour, from 35 mph to 30 mph. The findings were approved by the West Hollywood City Council in adopting a Resolution at its regular City Council meeting on October 16, 2023.

For more details contact Richard Garland, West Hollywood Principal Traffic Engineer, at (323) 848-6457 or at rgarland@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing call the West Hollywood’s TTY line (323) 848-6496.

By Trevor