Victorville to pilot temporary traffic circle at La Paz and Seneca with $503,700 SCAG grant

The City of Victorville City Council unanimously approved a resolution on April 15 to accept a $503,700 quick-build grant from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) to pilot a temporary traffic circle at the intersection of La Paz Drive and Seneca Road.

City engineers said the signalized intersection has a nonstandard geometry that produces multiple conflict points; the quick-build pilot would use temporary materials ' rubber curbs, striping and delineators ' to form a two-lane or single-lane roundabout and reduce conflict points from the existing configuration. The grant covers approximately $130,000 for design and about $373,700 for construction; there is no local match requirement.

City Engineer Freddy Bonilla described the proposed schedule as design and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with SCAG this year, construction possibly in the coming fall or early winter, and an evaluation period that SCAG requires to be at least six months but that the city currently estimates will run 12 to 18 months. The pilot would allow the city to restore the signal if community feedback or safety data indicate the roundabout does not work as intended.

Supporters on the council noted the project's value for testing safety improvements without permanent construction, and councilmembers asked that community outreach be led by the city's public information office. The motion to adopt staff recommendation passed by a unanimous roll-call vote: Councilmember Godin ' yes; Councilmember Irving ' yes; Councilmember Deborah Jones ' aye; Mayor Pro Tem Herriman ' yes; Mayor Elizabeth Becerra ' yes.

If successful and community-supported, staff said the city could pursue permanent funding sources such as the Highway Safety Improvement Program for a full, permanent redesign.