Politics & Government

Fair Oaks Construction: Future of Bulb-Outs (Video)

More from Monday night's meeting.

Fred Minagar, of Minagar & Associates, took the floor Monday to share his expertise on bulb-outs. He was hired by the City to explain the theory behind bulb-outs and address concerns prevalent among . 

Here's a rundown of bulb-out pros and cons Minagar presented at the meeting: 

Advantages:

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  • Reduce pedestrian travel time in street.
  • Adds sidewalk space for installation of curb ramp.
  • Slows speed of turning vehicles. 
  • Improves visibility of pedestrians.
  • Difficult for drivers to park illegal.
  • Traffic calming effects.

Disadvantage: 

  • Drivers may run into bulb-outs at night and inclement weather. 
  • No buffer between pedestrians waiting and passing vehicles.
  • Obstacles to street sweepers and snow plows.
  • Landscaping may be needed to guide pedestrians.
  • Loss of on-street parking. 
  • Drainage problems. 
  • Increases potential conflicts between bicyclists and motorists. 

Although Minagar admitted that in South Pasadena’s case, he would have sought more public input and not installed bulb-outs at every corner, he advised residents to wait six months (after completion) to draw a final conclusion on the outcome of these curb extensions.

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"All of us residents now here—who do not go down Fair Oaks anymore—but use all those cross streets now have longer wait times...," Chris Glaesar said to Minagar, also noting the residents of Santa Barbara convinced its City Council to remove its bulb-outs in January. 

But Minagar remained confident in his research: Bulb-outs in any central business district truly help regulate traffic. 

“Removal is not on my plate at this juncture,” Minagar said. “We want to take advantage of what the City has constructed to make it better, to make it safer and to make it more visible with other measures we can take that I described to you.”

Other recommendations included: signal synchronization, potential painting and restriping, and development of proper signage.

While striping and signal synchronization is set to be complete before September, signage to give vehicles notice of the bulb-outs is also a possibility and would cost approximately $2,500, according to Project Manager Gabe Nevarez. 

"The City is definitely looking at options to make the bulb-outs as safe as possible," he told Patch in an email after the meeting. 

Click on the video above to hear Minagar answer questions. 

Check back later for more from Monday's meeting and Fair Oaks construction. 


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