Newport considers crosswalk overhaul on Balboa Peninsula

Balboa and southbound Newport boulevards at 28th Street in Newport Beach could see more traffic control in an effort to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe in the visitor-heavy area.

A new city-commissioned traffic study of the Balboa Peninsula generally concluded that given the high volume of foot, bicycle and vehicle traffic there, especially during the summer tourist season, the streets are relatively safe.

But the two 28th Street hot spots, and others, could be improved with flashing beacons, bolder pavement markings, curb extensions and a few less street parking spots, city traffic engineer Tony Brine said while unveiling the study’s findings at a town hall meeting Monday at Marina Park.

Engineers with the city’s consultant, Fullerton-based Albert Grover & Associates, reviewed 38 uncontrolled intersections — those without traffic signals or four-way stop signs — in August 2016, then narrowed their focus to 18 intersections for a follow-up study in January, when crowds are generally light. The consultants then further focused on nine of those 18 corners with higher activity to document right-of-way violations.

Engineers found that the most problematic peninsula intersection was Balboa Boulevard and 28th Street, where motorists failed to give crossing pedestrians and cyclists the right of way 11.8% of the time during the summer.

Southbound Newport Boulevard at 28th followed, with a 10.6% summer violation rate. Southbound Newport at 28th saw violations 4.6% of the time in the winter — the worst of the offseason.

The consultant generally endorsed high-visibility, “continental” striping — thick, white, ladder-like stripes — at all existing crosswalks, replacing the thinner, diagonal hatching currently painted on the pavement. It also suggested pedestrian caution signs at most intersections.

For specific improvements, the engineers suggested:

• Balboa Boulevard/28th Street: Install flashing beacons along Balboa’s northbound and southbound lanes, add a crosswalk and street light on the east side and install “bulb-out” curb extensions on the east and west sides.
• Southbound Newport Boulevard/28th Street: Remove a parking spot on both sides of the existing crosswalk and install crosswalks on the south and west sides. Install bulb-outs for the north crosswalk, a street light on the northeast corner and pedestrian warning signs. “We’re seeing more pedestrians crossing not just across Newport,” Brine said. “We’re seeing them crossing on all the legs of that intersection, because you’ve got the stores and the restaurants and those things at that location.”

• Balboa Boulevard/26th Street: Remove the first parking spot on the east side of the crosswalk, south of 26th. Install a bulb-out on the east side, a street light on the southeast corner and pedestrian warning signs facing both directions of Balboa.
• Southbound Newport Boulevard/26th Street: Remove two parking spots on the approach to both sides of the Newport crosswalk, install bulbs-outs on the west and east sides and add a street light on the northwest corner. Paint southbound arrows north of the crosswalk.
• Newport Elementary School area: On Balboa at 13th and 14th streets, install new school crossing and speed limit signage and new street lights in the median, paint triangular yield markings on the roadway and, at both intersections, install overhead school crossing signs with flashing beacons.

The study area covered Balboa Boulevard between 44th Street and where Balboa becomes Channel Road in the Peninsula Point neighborhood, and Newport Boulevard between 23rd and 28th streets.

During the period between January 2012 and November 2016, there were 104 collisions in the study area, with a little more than a quarter of them involving pedestrians or bicyclists.

City staff will bring the results of the crosswalk study before the City Council in October.

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