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Temporary traffic circle near Arroyo Grande High School reduced illegal turns, city says; installation is bolted and reversible
Summary
City staff showed before-and-after video and said the bolted-in temporary traffic circle near the high school reduced illegal left turns and helped congestion downstream; the circle is temporary and removable if traffic patterns change after the Trafficway Bridge closure.
Arroyo Grande staff presented video evidence May 13 showing that a temporary, bolted traffic circle installed near the high school reduced illegal left turns and eased congestion for traffic leaving the school.
City Manager Matt Downing said the city compared two Tuesday afternoons and “we counted 24 illegal left hand turns or u turns” before the circle; a week after installation the team documented “50 legal left hand turns or u turns.” He described the installation as temporary and removable: “It's bolted into the ground… If as time goes on and as the bridge is actually removed and nobody can drive over that way, if we see something happen that we need to ultimately pull the traffic circle out, we can.”
Cost and purpose: Downing said the temporary circle element cost about $75,000 and the associated paving and striping cost about $180,000; the paving work was planned independently of the circle. The city said the temporary measure was intended to reduce congestion entering downtown and keep westbound traffic off the detour route during the upcoming Trafficway Bridge closure.
Why it matters: the temporary treatment is an operational attempt to reduce unsafe maneuvers near the high school and to manage detours during the bridge closure; staff flagged that it is not a permanent roundabout and that a permanent facility would require additional right-of-way and construction.
Ending: City staff said they will monitor the traffic circle’s performance during the bridge closure and can remove it if it proves counterproductive; they encouraged continued patience and local business support as detour traffic is managed.
