City Seeks Bigger Freeway Sign : Bell Gardens Says It’s Lost in Traffic Shuffle

Bell Gardens has an identity problem.

City officials are concerned that motorists are passing them by because they cannot find Bell Gardens among the string of cities along the Long Beach Freeway.

The solution, they say, is an overhead exit sign at the Florence Avenue off-ramp.

City officials consider the sign a top priority and since April have been pressuring the state Department of Transportation for a sign.

Too Many Other Signs

But Caltrans officials say the freeways are already too congested with signs and that legislative policy prevents them from installing more overhead signs unless a dangerous traffic situation is involved. Besides, Caltrans officials say, Bell Gardens already has four signs within half a mile of Florence and the agency is only required to provide cities with two.

“We get a lot of requests from cities who want to advertise their city,” said Isaac Michiel, a senior traffic engineer for Caltrans. “The problem with the (Bell Gardens) area is that you’ve got a big group of small cities looking for a sense of identity.”

With nearby Commerce, Bell, South Gate and Downey having overhead signs, Bell Gardens officials say they feel cheated.

“If Bell and those other cities can have a sign, we should be entitled to one too,” City Manager Claude Booker said.

“We are ignored,” Councilman Marvin Graves complained. “One sign says, ‘Bell, exit west’ and the other way it just says east, but it says nothing about Bell Gardens. We need to let people know we are here.”

When northbound motorists exit on Florence, they have a choice of taking the west lane, which is marked with a Bell sign, or the east lane toward Bell Gardens, which is unmarked.

Although the large neon Bicycle Club sign in Bell Gardens is visible from the lanes, city officials argue that motorists heading for the club sometimes take the wrong lane.

Bell by Mistake

“Some people might think the Bicycle Club is in Bell, judging from way the signs are set up,” Councilman Ronald Bird said. “Who knows how many people have ended up over there by mistake.”

With commercial development planned on Eastern Avenue around the highly successful Bicycle Club, including a luxury hotel and a 20-acre shopping center, Mayor Roger McComas said the city needs a new image.

“We’ve got so many exciting things going in Bell Gardens, but how are people supposed to get to these great places if they can’t get to them easily from the freeway?” McComas said.

Although Michiel said he has made it clear to city officials that a sign is not needed, Booker said he will continue to fight for a sign.

“We are not asking for much,” Booker said. “We just want to put Bell Gardens on the map.”