Solving the Traffic Problems on Larch

There are traffic problems on Larch. In my opinion, the most critical problems are speeding and the amount of traffic. There are many options on the table: Extra signage, stop signs, speed cushions, traffic cameras, and roundabouts. I would like to add street dividers to the list. I believe a street divider at Larch and Camino Pablo to block off traffic to and from Camino Pablo is another option worth considering.

Here are my opinions on the following options:

Extra signage will not necessarily slow down all drivers. Having signage is a great reminder to slow down for those who care about our traffic issues, but it will not slow down those who do not care about our traffic issues because there are no consequences. We already have a sign at the corner of Canyon and Larch that warns about radar speed checks, but yet problems still exist. Extra signage will help remind the conscientious, but beyond that it isn’t very effective.

Stop signs are very effective, but it does have some unfortunate side effects. Part of the reason for reducing traffic on Larch is to reduce the traffic noise, but having stop signs will cause cars to rev up more often thus creating more traffic noise. Furthermore, I believe that we currently require all four homes on an intersection to sign off before we can put up a new stop sign. If I lived in one of those homes, I would definitely veto a stop sign at my corner because it will cause more traffic noise in front of my house. I was recently interested in purchasing a house that was on a corner with a stop sign before I ended up on Larch - we eventually decided to passed on it because there was too much car-rev-up noise that took away from the whole aesthetic of the house. Since I cannot accept a thing like this, I do not feel right telling my neighbors to “take one for the team.”

Speed cushions are very effective as well, but they have the same problem as stop signs - they will cause more rev up noise from the car. I have a problem with any solution that leads me to say, “It’s fine as long as it’s not near my house”. I don’t want a speed cushion near my house for the same reason I don’t want a stop signs near my house.

Traffic cameras are overkill for Larch. It seems a little “big brother-ish” for a place like this. It is great for busy intersections in metropolitan areas, but it just seems very out of place on Larch thus ruining the overall aesthetic.

Roundabouts are a very interesting idea for Larch. They are practically used everywhere else in the world except the US. They have proven to be safer than traditional intersections for both vehicles and pedestrians. Installing a few of these on key intersections on Larch should slow down the traffic. I would even venture to suggest that roundabouts on Camino Pablo are a better idea than speed cushions. Roundabouts are something we should look into more seriously. This article describes the pros and cons of roundabout in more details:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundabout

The only concern with this idea is we Americans are infamous for not knowing how to engage roundabouts (There are all sorts of jokes on the Internet about this). Of course there is a bit of tongue-and-cheek with this statement, but the relevant thing about this observation is we are not used to roundabouts. It should not be a big deal because the roundabouts on Larch would be small and not too invasive.

Putting a street divider at the end of Larch to block traffic to and from Camino Pablo is one thing not on the list on options for solving the traffic issues on Larch. This solution is a very effective way for reducing and slowing down vehicle traffic. One important assumption I am making about the street divider is Camino Pablo is meant to be a thoroughfare for vehicle traffic. Not Larch.

When I say street divider, I'm not talking about the white divider that you see all over Berkeley. This is a cement divider in the middle of many large roads that separates traffic flowing in opposing directions. It looks like a typical pedestrian walkway in the middle of a road. Here are a couple of images of what I’m describing:

http://www.theabandonedhouses.com/broad.php

The cement divider will be accessible by pedestrians and cyclists. It will only block the vehicle traffic going to and from Camino Pablo making Larch effectively a dead-end street where Camino Pablo and Larch intersects. This will significantly reduce vehicle traffic on Larch. It will also reduce the speed of the traffic on Larch because the cement divider will make vehicle traffic more Larch-resident exclusive. Larch residents have a stake in making the traffic conditions better so the speeding problem should be reduced. This is not to say a street divider is the silver bullet. In fact, this solution just like every one on the table has its pros and cons. For example, I suspect that there will be a lot of resistances to this idea because a new street divider will significantly change the traffic flow of the entire neighborhood possibly causing some unintended consequences. So we need to have more discussions about this option. The only thing I want to do is put this option on table with the other choices.

In conclusion, we all know there are traffic problems on Larch that needs to be solved. I give a thumbs-down to stop signs, speed cushions, and traffic cameras. Increased signage and traffic circles are definitely worth considering. I give a thumbs-up for a street divider at Larch and Camino Pablo to block vehicle traffic to and from Camino Pablo.

These are my opinions and I'm sure I have not considered all aspects of this issue. It's more important that the voices of the residents of the greater Larch area are heard so please post your comments and opinions on this matter. I look forward to reading and learning from them.