City to Collect Community Input on Bulb-Outs

With top of mind as the Fair Oaks Corridor Improvement Project comes to an end, City staff has plans to collect community input and then formally explain execution at an upcoming City Council meeting. 

Many residents feel the curb-extensions, also known as bulb-outs, along Fair Oaks are dangerous to both pedestrians and drivers and not bicycle friendly. Some have expressed interest in painting the curbs red and installing reflectors to increase visibility, yet they also fear this will negatively affect the aesthetics of the area. 

"How did we not know this was going to be an issue?" asked Mary Urquhart at the Fair Oaks Construction Corridor community meeting Monday, citing damage to vehicles as a result of the bulb-outs. 

City staff said the designs were created eight years ago by an engineer based out of Florida. Although that engineer is no longer overseeing the project, Sam Talebian of DMR Team, says he will provide staff with technical insight and offer options for the completion of bulb-outs based on the funds available. The issue will be up for discussion at the next Fair Oaks community meeting (July 25) before City staff makes a final decision. 

"The decisions you are making are really effecting the business district's front porch. This is the presentation of the city," said President Scott Feldmann Monday. "Some decisions are made with very poor taste... which is a subjective idea."

Feldmann went on to express frustration about the many changes that have been made to the Fair Oaks designs, all of which were altered without oversight from the original engineer. 

"Stop going after all this federal money, because we can't handle these projects," said Feldmann. 

"I agree with that completely," said Council member Philip Putnam. "By the way, the decision on this project—I've been on the council five years—was made long before I got on the council."

"Admittedly, part of the problem here is ten years, six public works directors," Feldmann replied. 

CAUSE AND EFFECT

In April, Assistant City Manager Sergio Gonzalez the overall intent of the Fair Oaks project was to improve traffic flow and make it more pedestrian-friendly. 

"This includes bulb-outs, which reduce the distance a pedestrian would need to travel to cross the street. This should improve traffic flow since it will mean that motorists should experience shorter red signals due to pedestrian crossings," Gonzalez said. 

Although the intended purpose of bulb-outs is to shorten crossing distances for pedestrians, improve sight distances and slow vehicle speeds, there is still much debate about the safety value of bulb-out intersections, according to the Federal Highway Association (FHWA). 

"Some question the safety benefits attributable to reduced speed if they produce more potential for rear-end crashes or if the design of the island is inadequate for certain design vehicles or if the design does not explicitly consider the turning radii of larger vehicles," the FHWA reports on its website.

Ten has provided Patch with photos of bulb-outs in neighboring communities (see photos to your right). In San Fernando, bulb-outs are the same color and height as the roadway and planters are used to increase visibility. In Azusa, the raised curb is painted orange. 

Yet while South Pas can look to other communities for examples of how bulb-outs have been designed, research shows safety benefits range depending on a variety of factors such as site condition and traffic flow.

Whether it be red reflectors or plantings, the final additions to bulb-outs will not be implemented until the second week in August after the rest of the project is completed, reported Talebian on Monday. 

The next Fair Oaks Construction Corridor community meeting is slated for 8:00 a.m. July 25 at  The date in which bulb-outs will be discussed at City council is TBA. 

Check back later for a tentative schedule of the remainder of the project.