Council to Consider Traffic Panel Study

Ever since an extension of Harbor Boulevard in Los Angeles County was completed, residents in La Habra have complained that noisy cars and trucks are zooming into their formerly quiet neighborhood.

Residents packed City Council meetings this fall demanding a lower speed limit, a marked crosswalk at Carmela Lane, and stop signs to slow traffic.

Those demands have been rejected by a recent city study, which the council will consider approving at its Tuesday meeting. The Traffic Commission study calls for the Police Department to monitor the street for speeders, and recommends improving the visibility for drivers trying to turn onto Harbor Boulevard from Carmela Lane.

Many residents are still unhappy. “We’ve been fighting these issues for 13 months, and we haven’t gotten anywhere,” said Barbara Kays, a resident who has fought to reduce noise and increase safety. She said cars coming down the steep hill of Harbor Boulevard into the city sometimes run the light at Arbolita Drive. “We’re very concerned that somebody is going to get hit there one day,” she said.

William S. Arthur, who serves on the Traffic Commission, agreed that more cars use the road. He said drivers would not observe a 30-m.p.h. speed limit which was proposed between Whittier Boulevard and the north city limits. The speed limit just north of the city is 45 m.p.h. and is now 40 m.p.h. in the city.

Harbor Boulevard became more popular with commuters when it was extended to allow them to bypass Fullerton Road in Los Angeles County.

Arthur said the commission could not recommend placing a stop sign on Harbor Boulevard because it is an arterial route. He said a crosswalk at Carmela Lane would be dangerous because drivers go so fast on the road and might not stop, he said.

Councilman James Flora said he feels residents should have known about the traffic problems of Harbor Boulevard. “I tried to explain to people that it was a four-lane highway for a long time,” he said. “It’s not new. It’s been on the master plan for arterial routes in Los Angeles County since the 1960s.”

Bob Bannick, who lives on Carmela Lane off Harbor Boulevard, thinks the recent extension has created problems that must be solved. He wants the city to put sidewalks along Harbor Boulevard to make it safer for pedestrians. “The children going to school can’t get out of here,” he said. “Somebody’s going to get hurt.”