d. REPORT 21-0560 STATUS UPDATE AND DISCUSSION OF CONCLUSION OF A SAFER PROSPECT TRAFFIC SAFETY DEMONSTRATION PROJECT
(Environmental Programs Manager Doug Krauss)
No question, this project has been mis-managed. Public Works and engineers should have been managing this from the start. There never was even a consensus or a definition of what the problem really is. We should not be implementing street configurations without first defining the problem!! This has resulted in more public confusion and lack of confidence. Prospect Avenue still needs some sort of traffic calming and street improvements to improve the overall neighborhood. The question is what do we do next??>
Please end this so-called “Safer Prospect” project once and for all, and turn any such stuff in the future back over to the Hermosa Public Works Department.
Apparently the Public Works Department had little to no involvement in this project which started some 4 years ago with a former, now-mysteriously-exited from HB employment, environmentalist’s obtaining of a taxpayer funded $186,000 environmental grant. Why isn’t that grant’s dollar amount listed with the other dollar amounts of the staff report. Clearly close to $300,000 has been expended on this failed attempt in total.
The entire project operated out of the City Manager’s office in its last year, under the HB environmental Programs Manager.
I’ve inquired for months as to who the California State Licensed Transportation engineer was who signed off on these roadway changes. No answer, which to me means there was no sign off. When viewing the installation I actually noticed the lead consultant on his knees doing some of the graffiti painting of the roadway. Talk about a professional operation? Gezz.
Why have the digital comments made during this 3-month’s of implementation not been included for the Council’s and the Public’s viewing. Obviously that was a decision that was made by the City Manager Suja Lowenthal, i.e., not to allow her minion, the environmental programs manager, to include the comments. How can the City Council make an informed decision when those valuable comments are being hidden?
Former Councilmember Howard Fishman had an extensive Town Hall meeting pre-Covid, on improving Prospect and all of that work was also apparently completely ignored. This “Safer Prospect” project was money poorly spent to make it look like something good was happening.
A complete waste of time and money; government waste at its near-worse.
Suggestions: . . . . .
1- Completely end this project as an honorable attempt but a virtually complete failure….
2- Consider placing a solar powered pedestrian activated crosswalk at any locations pedestrians may be having problems crossing Prospect, if there are any….
3- Stop having the City Manager’s office short-cutting and demoralizing the Public Works department. City Manager Suja Lowenthal and her minions are not Public Works engineers….
4- Lastly, place the North Section of Prospect (Aviation to Artesia) on the high-priority list of streets LONG OVERDUE for milling and repaving. That section of Prospect’s pavement is deteriorating exponentially due to the lack of proper pavement management in city. Also 7th Street (not my street) between Prospect Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway was supposed to be milled and repaved 8 years ago and is still completely neglected….
THANK YOU…
I was one of the very few people that signed the petition that Brian Cooley created for “a safer prospect.” Of course, I signed the petition, who does not want a safer prospect? Unfortunately what ensued was a complete disaster and a textbook case of government waste. The only people that won were the consultants they got paid for this mess. Had I had any idea that the Cooley petition would have ended with several years of inaction followed by a $200,000.00 waste of taxpayer money, obviously, I would not have signed. A simple painted crosswalk would have worked just fine, and this is not discounting that neither “demonstration” was located at a “safe route to school” path. No Sane person would dispute that the “traffic circle” was a complete debacle and likewise the center median at 14th & Prospect has only caused confusion. I have walked, ridden my bike, or driven my car on Prospectevery day of my life for the past 25 years. I can see the intersection from my sundeck. Simply stated, there is NO problem on Prospect between 14tth and 15thand this fact is plainly evident to even the most casual observer. For the most part, Prospect is a ghost town most of the day. Please remove the demonstration project now. It solves nothing and In view makes things worse. I have been witness to two fender benders while people are swinging far out because of the painted bumpers. Also, these plastic cones provide a false sense of security and they stop no car.
Please remove this mess.
No question, this project has been mis-managed. Public Works and engineers should have been managing this from the start. There never was even a consensus or a definition of what the problem really is. We should not be implementing street configurations without first defining the problem!! This has resulted in more public confusion and lack of confidence. Prospect Avenue still needs some sort of traffic calming and street improvements to improve the overall neighborhood. The question is what do we do next??>
Please end this so-called “Safer Prospect” project once and for all, and turn any such stuff in the future back over to the Hermosa Public Works Department.
Apparently the Public Works Department had little to no involvement in this project which started some 4 years ago with a former, now-mysteriously-exited from HB employment, environmentalist’s obtaining of a taxpayer funded $186,000 environmental grant. Why isn’t that grant’s dollar amount listed with the other dollar amounts of the staff report. Clearly close to $300,000 has been expended on this failed attempt in total.
The entire project operated out of the City Manager’s office in its last year, under the HB environmental Programs Manager.
I’ve inquired for months as to who the California State Licensed Transportation engineer was who signed off on these roadway changes. No answer, which to me means there was no sign off. When viewing the installation I actually noticed the lead consultant on his knees doing some of the graffiti painting of the roadway. Talk about a professional operation? Gezz.
Why have the digital comments made during this 3-month’s of implementation not been included for the Council’s and the Public’s viewing. Obviously that was a decision that was made by the City Manager Suja Lowenthal, i.e., not to allow her minion, the environmental programs manager, to include the comments. How can the City Council make an informed decision when those valuable comments are being hidden?
Former Councilmember Howard Fishman had an extensive Town Hall meeting pre-Covid, on improving Prospect and all of that work was also apparently completely ignored. This “Safer Prospect” project was money poorly spent to make it look like something good was happening.
A complete waste of time and money; government waste at its near-worse.
Suggestions: . . . . .
1- Completely end this project as an honorable attempt but a virtually complete failure….
2- Consider placing a solar powered pedestrian activated crosswalk at any locations pedestrians may be having problems crossing Prospect, if there are any….
3- Stop having the City Manager’s office short-cutting and demoralizing the Public Works department. City Manager Suja Lowenthal and her minions are not Public Works engineers….
4- Lastly, place the North Section of Prospect (Aviation to Artesia) on the high-priority list of streets LONG OVERDUE for milling and repaving. That section of Prospect’s pavement is deteriorating exponentially due to the lack of proper pavement management in city. Also 7th Street (not my street) between Prospect Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway was supposed to be milled and repaved 8 years ago and is still completely neglected….
THANK YOU…
I was one of the very few people that signed the petition that Brian Cooley created for “a safer prospect.” Of course, I signed the petition, who does not want a safer prospect? Unfortunately what ensued was a complete disaster and a textbook case of government waste. The only people that won were the consultants they got paid for this mess. Had I had any idea that the Cooley petition would have ended with several years of inaction followed by a $200,000.00 waste of taxpayer money, obviously, I would not have signed. A simple painted crosswalk would have worked just fine, and this is not discounting that neither “demonstration” was located at a “safe route to school” path. No Sane person would dispute that the “traffic circle” was a complete debacle and likewise the center median at 14th & Prospect has only caused confusion. I have walked, ridden my bike, or driven my car on Prospectevery day of my life for the past 25 years. I can see the intersection from my sundeck. Simply stated, there is NO problem on Prospect between 14tth and 15thand this fact is plainly evident to even the most casual observer. For the most part, Prospect is a ghost town most of the day. Please remove the demonstration project now. It solves nothing and In view makes things worse. I have been witness to two fender benders while people are swinging far out because of the painted bumpers. Also, these plastic cones provide a false sense of security and they stop no car.
Please remove this mess.