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Port Hueneme outlines pedestrian, traffic measures after pilot programs and speed studies
Summary
Public works staff updated the council on pilot safety measures — RRFB crosswalk beacons, stop sign pilots, speed cushions, raised medians and truck‑route enforcement — and announced a $70,000 grant for additional crosswalk beacons on Hemlock Street.
Port Hueneme public works officials on Monday reviewed a series of traffic and pedestrian safety measures the city is tracking after recent pilot projects, and announced a grant award to fund additional crosswalk flashing beacons near a school.
Public Works Director Fred DeCambrio told the City Council the city has installed rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) at Surfside Drive crossings and added visibility signs where needed. A Panoma Street pilot that placed stop signs and adjusted red curb was authorized as an 18‑month pilot; staff reported no new complaints or accidents in that location since installation and will evaluate the pilot before the November end date.
The council heard follow‑up on a speed‑cushion policy adopted in 2023; since adoption the city has received eight public requests and installed cushions at six locations. Staff referenced police speed surveys used to evaluate candidate locations and described the data typically collected (seven‑day vehicle counts, average and maximum speeds and percentage of trips above citation thresholds). A citywide speed study completed in October 2023 recommended lowering limits on 12 streets to improve pedestrian safety; staff reported public notices and a three‑month grace period before enforcement.
DeCambrio described an August pilot of rubberized raised medians on Surfside Drive that appeared to stop vehicle “donuts” in the immediate area but encouraged monitoring for displacement of the behavior to adjacent areas. He also summarized work with the City of Oxnard to reconcile truck‑route maps; the update allowed Port Hueneme police to enforce truck‑route restrictions on a section of Pleasant Valley Road that had previously been ambiguous because Oxnard’s map had designated that segment a truck route.
In questions, council members asked whether the red curb restored parking on Panoma and whether the city can require physical changes to roads to support a dedicated westbound left‑turn signal on Hueneme/VENTURA; staff said replacing signal poles and sequencing could cost on the order of $300,000 and is not currently recommended because traffic counts do not warrant the change.
DeCambrio also said the city applied for and was awarded a $70,000 grant from SCAG to install additional RRFBs on Hemlock Street near a school, which will require a council resolution accepting the grant when staff returns with draft language. The city also has an active parking study (authorized in November) focused on priority neighborhoods the council identified; the consultant is in the data‑collection phase and will return with a draft report of alternatives.
Council members asked staff to look at specific crossing and turning movements near the beach and to continue coordinating with the Navy and other agencies on parking and oversized vehicle rules. Staff said enforcement resources, outreach (the “Reflect Yourself” pedestrian visibility campaign) and coordination with other jurisdictions have reduced speed complaints citywide, and that the Panoma and Surfside measures have seen fewer resident reports since installation.
