TITLE
Recommendation to request City Attorney to prepare amendments to Section 10.14.020.A of the Long Beach Municipal Code, relating to one-way streets and alleys, for the conversion of 6th Street and 7th Street between Alamitos Avenue, and Atlantic Avenue from one-way streets to two-way streets;
Adopt resolution closing to vehicular traffic a portion of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue (MLK Avenue) between 6th Street and 7th Street;
Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute a Right-of-Way Exchange Agreement with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles or its related affiliates, and any and all documents necessary for the vacation of a portion of sidewalk on the west side of MLK Avenue and the dedication of Saint Anthony High School’s private property on the south side of 6th Street, on the southwest corner of MLK Avenue and 6th Street;
DISCUSSION
In 2010, the City identified the intersections of MLK Avenue and Alamitos Avenues with 6th Street and 7th Street as safety hazards through a citywide analysis of intersections with high collision rates. MLK Avenue and Alamitos Avenue intersect the one-way couplets of 6th Street and 7th Street, creating complicated intersections, which have resulted in numerous collisions. The most common collision type was broadside, followed by sideswipe, with the most common injury involving bicyclists and pedestrians.
To reduce collisions in the area, the City applied for and was awarded a $900,000 federal grant from Caltrans through their Highway Safety Improvement Program to improve the geometry of the intersections. The proposed street improvements would significantly improve the safety of drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians by terminating MLK Avenue at 7th Street, and by converting portions of 6th Street and 7th Street from one-way to two-way streets.
In addition to the traffic safety concerns identified above, the City has identified the project area as deficient in park space. There was no parkland within a one-half mile rad...
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