Drivers
experience fewer crashes at L.B. Traffic
Circle
By Ruth Estrada
On-line Forty-Niner
Considering
its traffic volume, Long Beach’s 70-year-old
Traffic Circle has less serious accident
ratios compared to other intersections throughout
the city.
 The
Traffic Circle is a circular path way that
intersects Lakewood Boulevard, Los Coyotes
Diagonal and Pacific Coast Highway from
two separate points.
The circle has not always been as safe.
“In the city of Long Beach, we have a grading
system for accidents. An ‘A’ is for best
and an ‘F’ is for worst,” said David Roseman,
the city traffic engineer of Long Beach.
“In the 1980s, the grade level was almost
an ‘F.’”
Roseman said that in 1993 the Traffic Circle
underwent major reconstruction that lowered
the accident ratio.
“Today we have a modern ‘Roundabout,’” Roseman
said. “We now have three yield ways instead
of one.”
According to an article in the Long Beach
Press-Telegram, the changes to the new Traffic
Circle were quite simple. All the city did
was add flashlights, yield signs and urge
drivers to use their turn signals.
According to Long Beach City’s Traffic Engineering
Department, accidents fell 44 percent during
the first eight months after the Traffic
Circle’s reconstruction project.
Long Beach City’s Traffic Engineering Department
also said that accidents citywide dropped
12 percent during the first eight months
after the Traffic Circle’s reconstruction
period.
The historic circle was built in 1932 in
efforts to provide a more convenient road
way for Angelinos to reach the Los Angeles
Olympic Game’s rowing events.
The chief designer of the Traffic Circle
was Werner Ruchti. He also served as the
director of planning for Long Beach and
retired in 1968.
For decades there has been a rumor that
Ruchti died in the Traffic Circle. To clear
the record, that rumor is false. He died
of natural causes.
Roseman said that the Traffic Circle’s road
way is owned by California, but is managed
by the city of Long Beach.
“We are the gardener,” Roseman said. “We
come out and mow the lawn, but they plant
the seed.”
Roseman said that the Traffic Circle is
certainly a great success story. He also
said that it was the talk of the town for
a number of years.
“You see it has very little maintenance,
high capacity and a relatively low accident
ratio,” Roseman said.
Roseman said that the circle has the least
amount of broadside accidents — the most
severe type.
“You see broadside accidents are caused
by left turns,” Roseman said. “There are
no left side turns in the Traffic Circle.
There are only side swiped accidents that
are much less severe.”
Roseman then said that speed in the traffic
circle is also lower which makes the seriousness
of accidents less.
“Most accidents that are occurring are occurring
in the Traffic Circle are not your traditional
accidents that create injury,” Roseman said.
“The accidents are a lot less severe because
of the speed factor.”
Rosman also said that the city will not
convert the Traffic Circle into a regular
intersection that contains stop lights.
“The intersection that connects Los Coyotes,
Sterns and Clark is a six legged intersection
with over 37 accidents in three years.”
Roseman said. “It carries about 50 percent
less traffic than the Traffic Circle, but
it is one of highest accident prone intersections
in Long Beach.”
On the contrary, Ginni Hernandez, an employee
at Style for Less near the Traffic Circle
refuses to drive in the circular roadway.
“It’s scary and people are rude,” Hernandez
said. “You have to guess what people are
doing, they don’t use their signals and
there is no control.”
On the other hand, Dedra Field, a student
at Brooks College which also is near the
Traffic Circle thinks that the circular
roadway is convenient.
“It’s easier and better than going all the
way around,” Field said. “But, it is kind
of dangerous the way people just switch
wherever they want to.”
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