The City of West Hollywood clarified details about the traffic diverters that were removed from Willoughby Ave. this week.
- The pilot phase consisted of temporary traffic improvement strategies installed along Willoughby Avenue – a traffic diverter at Ogden/Willoughby, a mini-roundabout at Curson/Willoughby, and corner curb extensions at Spaulding/Willoughby – which were always scheduled to remain in place through August/September 2022 as the community evaluated the temporary improvements and provided feedback to City staff.
- The cost of the temporary installations as $300,000 is not correct. The project is continuing into the next phase as planned and the cost of the installations was approximately $26,000, not $300,000.
- City staff held numerous outreach efforts including two final community workshop meetings on August 25 and 27 and received numerous feedback points through the City website and text-survey, with more than 150 comments and more than 430 respondents who weighed-in on topics such as the diverter (246 do not like; 46 like); bulb-outs (77 do not like; 93 like); and traffic circle (93 do not like; 101 like).
- At this time, City staff has completed the outreach phase of the study and the temporary installations are planned to be removed as staff moves into the next phase which includes evaluating options and developing recommendations moving forward.
- In the upcoming months, City staff will be working closely with its consultants and its partner at the City of Los Angeles to develop a set of recommendations (taking into account community feedback) to bring to the City Council. City staff anticipates bringing this item to the City Council in Fall of 2022.
As someone who has lived one block west of this intersection, for 18 years, I thought this was a ridiculous idea. From the get-go. I use Willoughby all the time. Why can’t they just put in speed bumps, if they are trying to do traffic calming? Simpler, cheaper. Diverting traffic down to Waring is not a good idea. Willoughby has controlled intersections across every thoroughfare from La Cienega to Bronson. Waring does not.
I’m all for traffic “calming” on the side streets but the diversion was just dumb. Either people would just go into the oncoming Westbound lane to avoid it or use a private driveway to turn around to avoid going all the way South and around.
It actually worked great. Willoughby was less like fountain for a few months. Now back to cars going 50mph and an unsafe neighborhood. All you keyboard warriors afraid of any changes except more police should start asking for more speeding tickets. Oh i forgot you only get upset that visible poverty isnt illegal.
Appreciate!
This site is only a reflection of a tiny percentage of those who both live in or pass through WeHo and it’s nothing but endless complaining about everything under the sun. I said a while back that if the city chose to plant a tree on any given street in WeHo, at least one NIMBY is going to say it should be at least three feet further away and the city council wokeness about tree placement is out of control.
Nobody drives at 50 miles per hour on Willoughby. That’s physically impossible.
The diverters are at Ogden are retarded, and are rightfully being removed.
Finally a smart idea. No diverters. I thought how stupid really stupid. I use Willoughby the street has so many stop signs and I live a couple of house from Willoughby . My car charges at every stop sign . So I drive slower than normal on Santa Monica which has an abundance of people willing to drive through red lights to save 30 seconds? Time what a concept. I have had a car three years with 3000 miles since I walk to most places except banks,not many around But the diversion unto the first street then making a left… Read more »
This is too logical. Some on city staff can barely locate the four corners of their desk.🙄
Lol. Right. Good point.
I’m guessing $300k was for the whole pilot program. Design of treatments for three intersections, installation of the temp materials, collection of data, community outreach, removal of the temp materials. Still not cheap, but it would be a lot cheaper if they just installed it and didn’t ask the community for feedback.
These traffic experiments were requested by WEHO residents. So this particular one didn’t work but the Fountain Ave. Crosswalk Project on my block has saved lives and is a success. New crosswalks with caution lights embedded in the pavement as well as bollards merging traffic before the crosswalks slow the traffic when approaching. A right turn only lane placed on the north and south side of Formosa and Fountain help traffic move faster and prevent the crazy car accidents that were happening week after week. (I’m sure you all remember the countless Wehoville “accident on Fountain” articles that seemed endless).… Read more »
It wasn’t a ‘failed experiment’, it was a bit of old fashioned graft between the City and it’s client contractors and consultants.
Jeez, just think that $300,000 could have been spent just as unwisely on reparations for all the injustices the Counciltwits think occurred a hundred years ago.
Worry about the state you reside in.
Oh princess, or is it queen mother now that Elizabeth is dead?
That $300 K could have bent to good use for the homeless population. Agreed….zero experience showing cronyism well at work!
And the one at Larrabee and Cynthia – worthless.
Agreed…..
Sounds like City of Los Angeles. (????)
No, definitely West Hollywood. It even says West Hollywood on the traffic diverter signs.
Leave it to the staff with no practical or sensible experience. Next!