SIGNAL HILL : Plan to Improve Safety on Hill Street Proposed

Hill Street between Obispo and Temple avenues is the steepest street in town, and city officials have no desire to diminish its roller-coaster character.

But as developer Alamitos Land Co. seeks approval to build 264 homes in a tract straddling Hill Street, officials are considering ways to make the street safer.

The Public Works Department is proposing the addition of lights, an emergency parking lane on the uphill side and a raised center divider to prevent motorists from pulling into opposing traffic to get around cars that stall while going uphill. The 1,350-foot-long section of Hill drops 150 feet between Temple and Obispo, an average grade of 11%.