Council Still Pursuing Safety Plan for Trousdale, Site of Several Crashes

From the city of Beverly Hills:

The Beverly Hills City Council has directed staff to design a safety plan that would reduce the risk of serious construction vehicle accidents in the hilly streets of the Trousdale neighborhood.

At the May 20 study session, council members heard recommendations from the liaison committee of the Traffic and Parking Commission and continued the current suspension of heavy hauling in the Trousdale area. The suspension applies to all hauling vehicles that are three or more axles or exceed 26,000 pounds in gross weight.

“We want our Trousdale residents to work with staff and our consultant to ensure that proposed solutions will allow them to feel that they safe on our streets,” said Mayor Lili Bosse. “We will have a zero tolerance going forward and we will come up with long-term solutions that keep all motorists safe and meet the needs of our residents.”

The preliminary safety recommendations involve restricting the size of trucks in the area to two axles and 26,000 pounds or less, fully loaded, and with all deliveries requiring larger vehicles adhere to a detailed hauling plan for each construction site that would include:

• A comprehensive construction and hauling schedule
• Predefined hauling route
• Hauling permit renewed every 30 days
• Proof of daily vehicle inspection form
• 90-day CHP truck certification
• Enforcement by commercial vehicle experts

In addition, roadway safety improvements include increasing the number and visibility of signage, permanent speed indicator signs, increased California Highway Patrol assistance on sections and road striping.

Other possible measures under considerations include requiring specialized braking systems on large trucks with deliveries or pickups in Beverly Hills and installing security cameras in the area.

The traffic engineering firm Fehr & Peers is working on a comprehensive study of the Trousdale area and recommendations are expected by May 30. The scope of workincludes:

• Evaluating accident data
• Conducting field review of traffic flow and parking patterns
• Evaluating safety improvement options
• Evaluate and recommend alternative heavy-haul routes

Following the latest tragic accident on Loma Vista Drive, the city of Beverly Hills immediately suspended heavy vehicle delivery and pick up in the Trousdale area until additional safety measures could be established. The suspension will remain in effect until the council receives and approves the consultant’s recommendations.

To enforce the suspension, traffic control officers and signage are deployed at all four Trousdale area entrances. Overall enforcement efforts to ensure that speeding laws are followedhave been increased. The Traffic and Parking Liaison Committee is set to meet on June 17 at 9 a.m. to consider the city’s traffic consultant recommendations.