By Daily Press staff report
Residents on the eastside of town will soon be going around in circles. That’s because a new roundabout will be constructed at 26th Street and Washington Avenue to deal with an influx of traffic there.
Residents near 26th and Washington approached the City Council in February 2001, concerned that crossing the street was becoming more dangerous. The Council conceptually approved the roundabout last November, with officials citing concerns that a stand-alone crosswalk or even a “flashing” sidewalk would not be effective at a location with so many vehicles turning. A full traffic signal also was discounted for fear of fundamentally changing neighborhood traffic patterns, especially on Washington Avenue.
The roundabout is part of a $4.7 million pedestrian improvement project which includes enhancements to Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard, Broadway, Ocean Park Boulevard and 26th Street.
American cities have been installing an increasing number of roundabouts as they have been found to be popular and effective in many European communities. A roundabout is a circular intersection where vehicles entering the intersection yield to vehicles already in the intersection.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 22, 2002. Read the original PDF.