If a Light Flashes in Laguna, It’s Brake Time

Drivers zipping along Coast Highway in Laguna Beach now encounter blinking amber lights set in the pavement at busy intersections, installed by Caltrans in an attempt to reduce collisions with pedestrians in this foot-friendly town.

It is the first time that Caltrans has used such a crosswalk light system in the state. Small lights, embedded along the crosswalks at Oak and Mountain streets, begin flashing day or night when pedestrians push buttons on light poles on either side of the street.

Diamond-shaped pedestrian crossing signs, which hang on light poles in the middle of the street, flash simultaneously with the ground lights.

Caltrans officials say the new system was installed in response to community concerns about pedestrian safety in a town with a resort-like atmosphere, where locals and tourists often prefer to walk than drive.

On Aug. 19, at 10 p.m., two days before the lights went into operation, a car hit a pedestrian in the crosswalk on Mountain Street. Minor injuries were reported.

Four Pedestrians Killed Since 1998

In January, a hit-and-run driver struck and killed resident Elisabeth Stock in a crosswalk on Cliff Drive near Rosa Bonheur Drive. The driver, who has not been found, threw 65-year-old Stock 40 feet.

Last year, two pedestrians died after cars struck them in Laguna Beach; eight were injured in such accidents, according to police. In 1998, 19 pedestrians were hit in the city; one person died. Specific statistics on deaths and injuries in crosswalks are not available, Laguna Beach police officials said.

Residents have mixed reviews about the lights, which cost $72,000 total. Some rave about them, while others say they should be taken out and replaced with stop lights.

Mark L. Miller, a real estate agent at Laguna Properties, which sits near the Oak Street crosswalk, said the lights are “desperately needed.”

He said he hears screeching tires about two to three times a week, when a driver suddenly sees a pedestrian.

“I hope the lights end the accidents,” he said. “People are driving too fast while using their cell phones. They’re not paying attention.”

But Bill Rayes, owner of Coast Liquor on Mountain Street, believes the yellow lights should be replaced with red ones.

“What’s the purpose of yellow?” he asked. “Why not have red, and really make them completely stop? Yellow means you can keep going.”

Jonah Mariano, a hotel manager at the Coast Inn on Mountain Street, would also prefer a stop light.

“The new lights will probably bring down the risk, but unless there’s really something to stop people, it won’t work,” he said. “There are a lot of close calls. We’re on a major highway.”

Hamid Bahadori, a transportation services manager for the city of Orange, also has reservations about the push-button lighting systems.

Orange has one such system, which the county traffic engineer installed in an unincorporated area within city limits.

“Our pedestrians are educated to believe that when you push a button, it’s safe to walk across the street,” he said. “If lights start flashing on the pavement, it could create confusion about it being safe to walk in the street.”

Two months ago, Orange installed solar-powered lighting systems at three pedestrian-congested crosswalks. The $1,500 devices have sensors to detect when the sun goes down, and continuously flash until daylight breaks.

“We wanted to see if they helped safety,” he said.

Laguna Beach Police Chief Jim Spreine lauded the lights in his city, but still wants Caltrans to repaint 10 crosswalks that were lost a year ago when the agency repaved the city.

“Caltrans’ philosophy is that when there are crosswalks, [pedestrians] don’t pay as much attention,” Spreine said. “The lights get your attention. I’m optimistic that they’ll have a positive effect on reducing future injuries. But most of all, I’d like to see all of our prior crosswalks reinstalled.”

A statewide, Caltrans-sponsored study two years ago found that crosswalks with signals had fewer accidents than those without them, said Rose Orem, a Caltrans spokeswoman. In Laguna Beach, Coast Highway had three crosswalks with no signals: Mountain, Oak and Brooks streets. But instead of installing the costlier signals, which Caltrans says can cost up to $125,000 each, the agency decided to try the flashing lights on a trial basis at Mountain and Oak streets. Brooks Street won’t get the flashing lights, at least for now.

“We had to start somewhere,” Orem said. She said that Caltrans will monitor the program to see if it is reducing the number of pedestrian and traffic accidents.