Signal Tribune Newspaper

A street rehabilitation project on Livingston Drive between Second Street and Termino Avenue will increase safety for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists, while retaining the number of parking spaces and maintaining traffic flow, according to a press release issued by the City of Long Beach.
“This project is a win-win for the city of Long Beach because it will improve our infrastructure while increasing safety,” Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster said.
Westbound Livingston Drive currently expands to three lanes along the 0.4-mile stretch. The third lane on westbound Livingston Drive will be reconfigured into a protected service road to provide a safer route for local traffic and bicyclists while preserving parking spaces. Traffic engineers have conducted studies and determined that the two remaining traffic lanes will accommodate traffic flow with no adverse congestion expected.
“We have worked with the community to come up with a good plan for these improvements without losing any parking spaces,” said 3rd District Councilmember Gary DeLong.
Work is expected to start this month and is estimated to be completed by the end of the year.
The service road will be protected by a raised median and also will be designated with “sharrows,” which are markings to remind motorists and bicycles to “share the road.”
On eastbound Livingston Drive, the sidewalk will be doubled in width to eight feet, to increase walkability. The number of traffic lanes, as well as the number of parking spaces, will remain the same.
A new traffic signal will be installed at Ximeno Avenue, and the pedestrian crossing will be removed from Roswell Avenue. A Long Beach Transit bus stop on Roswell Avenue that is infrequently used will be removed.
The rehabilitation will also include: cement-concrete curbs, gutters and sidewalks replacing and overlaying asphalt concrete pavement; and furnishing and installing pavement markers, markings, and traffic striping. New catch basins with screens will prevent trash from entering storm drains, and the median will accommodate future landscaping.
The street will be resurfaced with asphalt containing up to 15 percent recycled material, as well as recycled rubber from old tires.
In addition, all of the old asphalt material to be removed under this contract will be recycled into new asphalt or utilized as base material on other street projects, according to the City. Road base material used on the project will come from recycled concrete, rock, sand, and asphalt, and all concrete work will include recycled waste ash, diverting these materials from landfills.
Traffic controls will be in place to provide safety for motorists and workers. Lane closures will be required during construction, and while the roads will stay open during working hours, motorists can expect some traffic delays. Therefore, motorists, pedestrians and cyclists are encouraged to use alternative routes when possible. As an example, cyclists are encouraged to use the City’s Beach Bicycle Path during construction.
The project is funded from Proposition C, with no impact on the City’s General Fund.

Source: City of LB