Sunset Boulevard is a major arterial that carries approximately 44,000 vehicles per day, connects east/west traffic through the northern section of Beverly Hills, and serves as a gateway to local residential neighborhoods.  The City of Beverly Hills Public Works & Transportation Department hosted three community meetings to present information and to receive public input on potential improvements on Sunset Boulevard.  The City’s goal is to improve safety and traffic circulation on Sunset at the three uncontrolled intersections at North Camden, Bedford and Roxbury drives.

At the first meeting on June 6, 2011, staff presented the existing traffic conditions on Sunset Boulevard and introduced seven design alternatives for improving safety and to discourage cut-through traffic on residential streets.  Alternatives included sign and striping improvements, median modifications or closures, traffic signals, or a combination of alternatives. 

On June 27th, the Traffic & Parking Commission reviewed the alternatives, plus two additional alternatives resulting from public comment received at the June 6th meeting.  The Commission requested additional accident data and further analysis of the traffic diversion to the adjacent residential streets. 

The Traffic & Parking Commission held a Special meeting on August 25th to review the additional accident data and potential consequences of each alternative.  The Commission narrowed the alternatives to three designs, including a “no change to existing conditions” option, for City Council consideration.

The Beverly Hills City Council reviewed the Traffic & Parking Commission’s recommendation for potential improvements to the three Sunset Boulevard intersections at its December 6, 2011 Study Session.  The three alternatives presented to the City Council included:

A.      Install islands at North Roxbury, Bedford and Camden drive intersections to prevent north-south through movements across Sunset Boulevard.  Islands would be constructed to allow left-turns from Sunset Boulevard to the residential side streets.  (Traffic & Parking Commission recommendation)

B.      Signalize North Bedford Drive at Sunset Boulevard, modify the striping and signage on Sunset Boulevard at the Roxbury Drive and Camden Drive intersections, and add left-turn restrictions at the Bedford/Benedict Canon Drive intersection during peak hour.

C.      No Build/No Change to existing conditions.

The Beverly Hills City Council removed Alternative B and any options that include traffic signal installation from further consideration.  A modified version of Alternative A was unanimously supported by the City Council for a 6-month test period (from the date of installation) Alternative "A" Map Plan to include striping, signage and delineators on Sunset Boulevard, and re-striping the intersection approaches at North Roxbury, Bedford and Camden drives. 

The striping at North Roxbury, North Bedford and North Camden drives will prohibit left-turn and through movements across Sunset Boulevard, and will guide right-turn only movements from side streets onto Sunset Boulevard from both approaches of the intersection.  The median left-turn lanes on Sunset Boulevard will be re-striped to allow left-turn access onto the side residential streets.

Following the 6-month test period, the City Council will review traffic conditions and alternatives, including the original Alternative A which involves constructing islands in the mid-block median, for further action.

Please contact the Public Works & Transportation Department with any questions or comments at (310) 285-2467 or via e-mail at Transportation@beverlyhills.org.