La Verne Continues To Invest In Street Improvements To Enhance Quality Of Life

Press release from the La Verne Chamber of Commerce:

September 19, 2020

One of the most critical roles for the City of La Verne is the maintenance and improvement of the City’s local streets and roads. These local streets and roads connect the community and provide the pathways - literally and figuratively - for both economic and personal activities. With this in mind, the La Verne Public Works Department is excited to share several street improvement project updates with La Verne residents.

According to the National Association of City Transportation Officials, streets typically make up more than 80 percent of all public spaces. According to La Verne Deputy Public Works Director Anthony Ciotti, “Delaying or not prioritizing street maintenance results in more intensive reconstruction projects, which can be more time consuming and substantially more expensive in the long-term.” Therefore, the more work done upfront to maintain La Verne’s streets, the more that is saved in the long run, which allows even more streets to be addressed in the future.

• The following street improvement projects in La Verne are planned, though each are in different project phases ranging from construction to design:
• Nearly 4 miles of street maintenance and rehabilitation is planned for the Canyon View Drive, Blackrock Avenue and Bonner Court neighborhood area. These streets will be ground down and essentially repaved using both asphalt and an environmentally responsive material known as asphalt rubber aggregate membrane (ARAM). The use of ARAM will help divert approximately 6,605 tires away from ending up in a landfill, and the material is more flexible and can better withstand cracking than conventional pavement materials. This project will also improve existing sidewalks and pavement striping. A contractor was recently awarded to perform this street maintenance at the September 8, 2020 City Council meeting and construction is expected to begin in October.

New medians, which are the reserved areas that separate opposing lanes of traffic on divided roadways, will be constructed on Fruit Street from La Verne Lutheran High School to Baseline Road. These medians will act as traffic calming measures, which leverage the physical design of the median to encourage safer and more responsible driving. The project will also enhance safety for drivers by providing a left turn signal for westbound traffic on Baseline Road at Fruit Street. The construction contractor was awarded at the September 8, 2020 City Council meeting and construction is expected to begin in October.

• Residents can soon expect construction to begin at the intersection of White Avenue and

Durward

Way, where a much needed traffic signal will be installed. This traffic signal will assist with

overall traffic flow and safety, providing residents more peace of mind as they drive

through this intersection. The installation of the traffic signal will require occasional

weekday lane closures beginning in November on both White Avenue and Durward Way; however, the

Public Works team will be implementing a traffic control plan to help facilitate access and

mitigate inconveniences during construction.

• Pavement rehabilitation of nearly 2.5 miles of local streets is planned for the

Hormel Street neighborhood area. The project will be confined to Gladstone Street to the south,

Sentinel Drive to the north, Ramona to the west and Damien to the east. This construction project

will go out to bid Fall of 2020, with construction anticipated to begin during Spring 2021.

• Lastly, the La Verne Public Works team is currently in the design phase for street

reconstruction for 6th Street and 7th Street, between C Street and D Street. The project will

completely remove and replace the existing pavement and base materials. Base materials are the

foundational layer put down during street construction. This will allow for completely renovated

and new streets to be constructed. Road construction activities are slated for Summer 2021.

“Investing in quality infrastructure is key to civic strength and economic growth,” said Tim

Hepburn, La Verne Mayor. “Which is why we deeply appreciate the community’s patience and

cooperation as construction takes place to improve the condition of our local streets.”

While progress and improvements are being made to the City’s streets and roads, the nature of

public works projects is that there will always be more work to be done to modernize infrastructure

and City facilities. The City of La Verne remains committed to finding innovative solutions and new

ways to address

these needs to help La Verne continue to prosper and thrive.

City of La Verne

• Anthony Ciotti Deputy Public Works Director
• September 19, 2020
• (909) 596-8741
• Send Email

This press release was produced by the La Verne Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed are the author's own.