Five residents attested to unsafe driving conditions near the corner of La Jolla Mesa and La Jolla Scenic South Drives during a Jan. 4 La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA) meeting, prompting board members to vote 10-1 in favor of implementing at least one stop sign at the roads’ intersection.
The issue was presented to the La Jolla Traffic and Transportation Committee at its December meeting when a concerned resident suggested that two stop signs be added to the three-way intersection, which currently has only one sign, according to Joe LaCava, committee board member.
“The city did go out and do an analysis to see if the intersection qualifies for a stop sign, based on conflict of movements, history of accidents and pedestrian issues,” LaCava said. “They determined it more than qualified.”
People living near the intersection backed up the city’s findings with personal accounts of traffic problems in the area.
“We’ve lived on La Jolla Mesa Drive for 24 years and seen the traffic increase,” Tom Sparrow, a La Jolla resident, said at the meeting. “Speed is a tremendous factor. Something needs to be done somewhere on that avenue to slow it down and make it more safe.”
A resident living at the corner of La Jolla Mesa and La Jolla Scenic South said he had witnessed two accidents since moving into the neighborhood less than a year ago.
A petition advocating for an additional stop sign and a crosswalk to be implemented at the intersection was signed by 40 residents along the two roads, according to resident Kevin Fialko, who spoke in favor of the measure.
Several residents, who said they believed additional stop signs might not be the only solution to the problem, suggested that the LJCPA ask for increased speed limit enforcement from police.
In other business, a representative from Bird Rock Community Council announced a Jan. 23 meeting that will allow community members to vote on a draft of Bird Rock’s form-based code. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the Bird Rock Elementary School auditorium, 5371 La Jolla Hermosa Ave.
Public comment will be accepted at the Coastal Development Permitting (CDP) review board meeting at 4 p.m. Jan. 30, at the La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St. The CDP is scheduled to cast an official vote on the project, which will then be heard by the LJCPA.
The LJCPA meets the first Thursday of each month at La Jolla Recreation Center. For information, visit www.lajollacpa.org or send email to [email protected].