Storke/Hollister Tie-Ups

In the letter “Pining for County Control”, the author, in discussing the Los Angeles–like Storke/Hollister intersection, raised again the matter of the long-awaited-but-delayed construction of the ped-bike bridge by the Camino Real Marketplace. The urgent need for the bridge is made even more compelling by the ongoing Westar construction project that began late last year.

Last October, Peter Koetting, executive vice president of Westar, and members of the development team spoke to reporters and attempted to minimize concerns many area residents have expressed about increasing traffic associated with the project. They observed that being across Hollister from Camino Real Marketplace meant residents could work, shop, eat, and play without using a car.

There is a demand pedestrian crossing signal on the traffic lights at the entrance to the Marketplace from off Hollister Avenue. Currently it is in occasional use, but with the addition of, let’s say, about a thousand new residents at the development of 266 apartments, one can imagine, as the timers on pedestrian crossing lights are somewhat lengthy, that vastly increased usage will cause traffic to clog and back up on Hollister Avenue in both directions. The potential is for even worse traffic tie-ups at rush hour extending toward the already D-rated intersection at Hollister Avenue and Storke Road.

In summary, taken together with the Westar project (driving will still be the dominant mode of transportation even if a ped-bike bridge is ever built) and the imminent opening of the new worldwide Deckers headquarters, plus the planned Rincon Palms Hotel and Conference Center right at the Storke intersection and the proposed Taco Bell restaurant at Pacific Oaks Road, one can anticipate in the future even more chaotic traffic tie-ups at the intersection. L.A. here we come!