VISTA — The public spoke and the city heard: New stops signs and a stop light are coming to several busy Vista intersections.
The Vista City Council on June 14 unanimously approved a traffic signal at Bobier Drive and Calle Jules, and all-way stop signs at the intersections of Warmlands Avenue and Alessandro Trail, and Hill Drive and Durian Street — the latter projects stemming from public petition.
“This intersection is insane,” said resident Chris Felten about Hill Drive and Durian Street, adding that community markers and signs to slow down have failed.
“People like to stop, pick it up and throw it on the sidewalk,” Felten added. “It’s insane through there.”
Residents living near Warmlands and Alessandro and Hill and Durian intersections encouraged staff to evaluate traffic at those locations, complaining of unsafe speeds and other issues. Despite evaluations missing the quantitative requirements, petitions favoring the installation of stop signs prevailed.
The all-way stop sign evaluations were on a 20-point grading system, with 11 points granted to Hill Drive and Warmlands Avenue scoring nine.
“I just really want to thank the neighbors for getting together and utilizing the petition process,” said Councilmember Corinna Contreras on June 14.
Residents may submit a petition for a measure to slow the flow of traffic on city streets per the Vista Traffic Calming Program. Signatures in support of traffic-slowing enhancements must make up a majority of the petition, which is verified by the city’s engineering department.
“This is a process that has been utilized to the extent that, I think, we’re seeing some progress being made, especially when it comes to reducing the speed of vehicles in residential areas,” Contreras said.
The stop light at Bobier Drive and Calle Jules is 10th of 24 on the Traffic Signal Priority List, which was created in 2017 and updated last year with crash priority ratings. Based on state standards and traffic evaluations, the list was condensed to 19 intersections that met criteria for a stop light installation in the city of Vista.
While the Bobier project is mid-range on the priority list, other projects would require other enhancements. City staff also indicated two pedestrians were fatally struck near the Bobier/Calle Jules intersection in the last five years.
The stop signs will be installed within the next six weeks and the traffic signal is expected to be constructed by the end of summer 2023.
The cost to install four stop signs is about $300, which is available through the Gas Tax Street Maintenance Special Department Expense Traffic Sign Supplies account in the 2021-22 Operating Budget.
A proposed traffic signal is estimated to cost $550,000 and would be appropriated out of the Capital Improvement Projects Budget for fiscal years 2022-23 and 2023-24.
