Despite years of resident complaints about speeding, city engineers say the street meets safety standards — but many worry it’s only a matter of time.
A car crashed into the entrance of 930 Palm Avenue around 6:15 p.m. Friday evening, narrowly missing resident Darryl Sher and his two children as they walked toward the playground. “It would have killed all of us if we were hit,” Sher said.
The incident has reignited frustration over long-standing safety concerns on Palm Avenue — frustrations Sher has voiced to the city for more than two years.
In email correspondence dating back to late 2022, Sher repeatedly asked the city’s Engineering Division to address speeding, unsafe stop sign compliance, and hazardous intersections on Palm Avenue. He requested speed bumps, flashing lights, and a reduction in the speed limit from 25 mph to 20 mph.
Each proposal was declined or deferred. In one email, city engineer Walter Davis told Sher that the slope of Palm Avenue made speed bumps “unsafe,” and that medians could only be considered if Sher collected 121 signatures from nearby residents — one per dwelling unit. Sher responded that soliciting signatures in apartment buildings was nearly impossible without building access.
Sher also raised concerns about cars failing to fully stop before turning right at the intersection of Palm and Santa Monica Boulevard. In an October 2024 reply, Davis acknowledged the issue but said the signage met state standards, and that the city would “submit another request to the Sheriff’s Department for stop sign enforcement.” Sher says no officers have been posted at the intersection since.
Traffic studies conducted by the city showed that 85% of drivers on Palm travel under the posted 25 mph limit, and staff concluded that “Palm Avenue overall speeds are reasonable.” Sher disputes this, saying he regularly witnesses vehicles speeding between 40–50 mph and blowing through stop signs at Cynthia and Harratt.
“The Engineering Department makes decisions ignoring pedestrian safety,” Sher said. “It will take a deadly accident or a lawsuit for changes to actually be made.”
Sher forwarded dozens of emails to WEHO Online to support his claims. Many show polite but firm refusals from the city, citing engineering guidelines, budget constraints, or study results.
“I’m hoping the community will push to make streets safer,” Sher said.
As a resident on Larrabee by Cynthia on southwest corner of the circle that was almost killed when a car at a speed of 100 mph entered my property at 2 am reading this post brings back the horrifying memory in Aug 2020. Refer to Darvish car crash OpEd for details. I am still fighting to get speed humps on Larrabee and Palm. I was able to add a cross walk and stop sign on Palm for your safety.
The West Hollywood policy to have to collect household signatures is just ridiculous in a city where the majority are renters.
I agree and I had the same experience in trying to get signatures for speed humps on Palm and Larrabee in 2021.
Whether it is Palm Avenue in this example, or speeding on Fountain Avenue, there is just absolutely no presence of the West Hollywood sheriffs department to enforce stop sign laws and speeding laws. Where are they?? And why doesn’t the city Council and the citizens of the city demand that the sheriffs department enforce laws about safety? They are just nowhere to be seen. There is no accountability about this. And the city council does nothing to force them to get off their ass and do their jobs. Especially in the most dangerous spots in the city.