the cliff / meigs intersection

 

a reconfiguration of this important intersection can create improved pedestrian connections between the four commercial quarters of the village center, and a more efficient vehicular traffic flow

The intersection of Cliff Drive and Meigs Road has long been tolerated by residents as a barrier to foot traffic between the businesses that surround it.  Traffic signal intervals are currently set by CalTrans to conform to their standards, but don’t work well for our needs.  The time and effort it takes to walk from Albertson’s Grocery to Long’s Drugs is enough for most people to get back in their cars to drive this short distance, and the wait for the light to change when in a car can seem far too long.


The “Scramble” design shown here is a traffic control system that incorporates a pedestrian phase that stops all vehicular traffic and allows pedestrians to cross in every direction at the same time.  During vehicular phases all pedestrian crossing is stopped and vehicles are controlled by a “green” phase and a left turn phase for each street.  Right turns can be made without having to watch out for pedestrians.  The intersection has been narrowed in keeping with our proposal to reconfigure Cliff Drive to three traffic lanes, which allows us to shorten the walking distance from corner to corner.


This design has three advantages; it is safer for pedestrians because it eliminates conflicts with turning vehicles, it encourages people to walk between the stores on each corner, and it improves traffic flow efficiency. Diagonal crossing reduces pedestrian travel time through the intersection, and the flow of turning vehicles is more efficient because it is uninterrupted by pedestrian traffic.


See below for an interesting short video on scramble intersections in Los Angeles.

EXISTING CURB LINE

(DASHED RED)

NEW CURB LINE

(SOLID BLACK)

NEW LANDSCAPING OR PERMEABLE PAVING

(GREEN)

7th & Broadway, LA

Oakland