A Lexus Hybrid SUV, pulling out of Lower Palisades Circle to make a left hand turn, was struck by a truck heading up Palisades Drive this morning. Only minor injuries were reported.
Several accidents have occurred at the intersection and residents of the Palisades Highlands have asked city officials, in the past, for a controlled intersection at Palisades Drive and Lower Palisades Circle. The requests were denied. The intersections in this part of Palisades Drive are particularly dangerous because the slope of the incline prevents good visibility for both drivers coming up the hill and drivers attempting to turn left.
The Palisades has lost many fine members of its community in local road related accidents in the last few years. In memory of all the victims of our dreadful roads, can we finally say enough is enough? Can we say never again? Can we make a stand and make a change? Pledge today to help save lives.
The PLEDGE to SAVE LIVES
http://pledge.safewestside.com
In order to prevent the senseless deaths of more members of our community, I hereby pledge not to speed, drive recklessly or drive under the influence. I further pledge to watch out for my friends and loved ones, and it is my hope that they will watch out for me. I pledge to communicate my concern to any friend or loved one driving in an unsafe or dangerous manner. If my suggestion does not cause that person to change his or her driving habits, then I pledge to communicate this information to his or her parents, partner or family member. If I’m told that someone close to me is speeding, driving recklessly or driving under the influence, I pledge to take immediate action to help change his or her driving habits. If I’m a parent and I’m given such information, I pledge to take immediate steps to restrict my child’s ability to drive a motor vehicle.
The Pledge to Save Lives exists as part of an ongoing effort to help prevent future road related accidents in the Westside community, part of the grassroots Safe Westside effort. Sunset Boulevard, Palisades Drive, and Pacific Coast Highway, three of the most dangerous roads in Los Angeles, see countless accidents each year, many of them extremely severe. While engineering conditions are partially to blame, they are mostly out of our hands. As responsible members of the community, though, it is our job to do our part to help prevent senseless losses on our roads in any way we can.
By pledging, one agrees to drive safely and responsibly and to do one’s part to encourage others to do the same. This means personally not speeding, driving recklessly, or driving while under the influence, and it means taking steps to protect others as well. Those who pledge agree to speak to their peers and explain the dangers of our roads. Some will listen, and some will not. For those that won’t, pledgers agree to speak to their loved ones – a parent might be able to better stop their child, or a wife to better stop their husband. But, we understand that this is not always easy, and thus, on this website, one can ask for an anonymous intervention by a concerned member of the community.
LEARN more. What you can do for yourself. What you can do for others.
PLEDGE to save lives. Join your neighbors, family, and friends in making a stand.
TELL those you care about. Be proactive. Communicate the dangers of speed and reckless driving.
INTERVENE for someone. Help save the life of someone you care about.
Bill Rosendahl and City officials will meet with the Safety Committee on Wednesday 8:00 PM Feb 11 Meeting @ Rustic Canyon Park – 601 Latimer Road, Pacific Palisades, 90272 – gallery room.
City of Los Angeles
Council Member, Eleventh District
February 6, 2009
Dear Residents,
I am filled with sadness at the loss of another young life. It is hard to imagine the pain that is being felt, but I want everyone to know that my thoughts and prayers are with the young man’s family as well as the Pacific Palisades community.
As many of you know, a meeting was held this last week to address traffic safety in the Palisades Highlands; specifically, along Palisades Drive and Sunset Boulevard. During this meeting, many of you expressed your concerns and contributed suggestions for improving the current road conditions. My staff, the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation attended the meeting in order to answer questions and gather community input.
I want to assure you that my office is working diligently to address all these concerns and consider all of your suggestions. My field staff compiled a list of proposals that were made during Monday’s meeting.
To move proactively on your suggestions, I will moderate a community meeting at 8:00 P.M. next Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at Rustic Canyon Recreation Center. The focus of the meeting will be to discuss these ideas and receive feedback from varios City departments. The objective will be to identify actionable items, both short and long term.
Our aim is to prevent future tragedies. I hope we can continue to work together to develop creative solutions for the benefit of our entire community.
Once again, thank you for contacting my office. We look forward to working with all of you.
Sincerely,
Bill Rosendahl
Councilmember, 11th District
Download PDF of Bill Rosendahl’s Letter
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDkd_x7JWQM&[/youtube]
Community Leader Paul Glasgall admits that in 1981 he spun his Porsche 360 on the same corner that claimed Nick Rosser.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEoZ7H5kzHA[/youtube]
Hamid Sandoghar, of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation rambles on, at the February 2nd meeting, with few answers for the Westside Community, but implicates that environmentalists have blocked improvements to the highway safety concerns.
Teen’s Death Prompts A Community Outcry – Palisades Post – February 5, 2009
Nicholas Rosser, 18; Multi-Talented Youth – Palisades Post – February 5, 2009
by Peter Duke – It seems that everyone agrees that Palisades Drive is dangerous, in that it is fatally unsafe for automobiles, bicycles and pedestrians. Issues become clouded as individuals clamor to foist solutions based on their their own perception of what the problem is that needs to be solved.
I posit that the problem is not speeding, teenagers, or reckless disregard, the problem is, that for whatever reason, the Design of Palisades Drive is fatally flawed. Without going into it’s history, it’s a Class II Highway, that connects an isolated neighborhood to the rest of the community. To add (bureaucratic) complication it runs through a state park, that touches many different jurisdictions.
Delivering a laundry list of potential solutions to elected officials will not, necessarily, have the desired result. e.g. If we put in solar-powered speed signs, and someone get’s killed again, then the bureaucrats and the elected officials can say “we did what you asked”.
Instead we need to make a simple request, that the Department of Transportation re-engineer Palisades Drive with the main success criteria being that safe passage for autos, pedestrians and cyclists be given the highest priority. The success criteria need to be no more fatalities or injuries (except in some extraordinary case).
Education and Enforcement are supports for for Engineering, not a replacement. Education and Enforcement can be brought online as quick tactical fixes, the the real solution is to get the LADOT to do some substantive work.
A tool that I use for defining a creative project is a Positioning Statement. While its form seems more suited to a product, I believe that the value here is in focusing our message to the councilman’s office.
Here’s the formula:
For [audience], [our product’s name] is a [category in which our product competes] that provides [the major benefit of our product] unlike [our major competitor’s product].
Here’s my first whack:
For [District 11 residents], [Palisades Drive] is a [thoroughfare] that provides [safe access to the Highlands for automobiles, pedestrians and cyclists] unlike [the current class 2 highway].
PCHS Community,
A member of our school community, Nick Rosser (Class of ’09), has died. Nick was involved in an automobile accident on Saturday. The school has been in contact with the family regarding funeral arrangements and will be provided that information, once plans are finalized. The school crisis team is available to support students, faculty and staff who may have difficulty dealing with this tragic loss. Students who may need to speak to someone are encouraged to contact their counselor, our school psychologist, Bella McGowan, or an administrator.
May Nick rest in peace and may his family and friends find strength, during this difficult time through the support of friends and family and the solace of their personal faith beliefs.
Martin Griffin
Martin D. Griffin
Principal
Palisades Charter High School
15777 Bowdoin Street
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
Phone: (310) 230-6649
Fax: (310) 454-6076
Email: mgriffin@palihigh.org
Web Page: www.palihigh.org
