After months of mystery, Playa Vista has announced that Bluff Creek Drive will open to public through-traffic beginning in February 2020. The section of Bluff Creek Drive between Westlawn Avenue and Village Drive has been closed for months as the final phases of construction were completed on The Collection, a corridor of single-family homes on the southern edge of Playa Vista.
Bluff Creek Drive is potentially a major thoroughfare connecting Lincoln Boulevard and Sepulveda Boulevard by way of Centinela Avenue. It borders the southern side of Playa Vista, parallel to Jefferson Boulevard, which is already a heavily trafficked Los Angeles street. Seven traffic lights on Jefferson regulate speed and protect turns; Bluff Creek currently only have five in the same stretch.
Residents are concerned that opening the street will trigger disruptive and dangerous traffic. During the closure between Village and Westlawn, temporary stop signs controlled traffic on Bluff Creek Drive. Police have been called to several emergencies involving pedestrian-vehicle collisions, including hit-and-runs. The closed section borders a popular dog park and athletic field which makes it a popular walking space.
Residents have complained about drag racing on Bluff Creek Drive and nearby car dealerships use it for test drives. Rumors have spread on Facebook that LADOT won’t install speed bumps on Bluff Creek Drive because it is a crucial route for emergency vehicles. Until 2016, the city had stopped installing new speed humps for 7 years.
As construction and landscaping came to a close near Bluff Creek, contractors have been seen clearing debris and touching up paint and concrete. City inspectors have been spotted inspecting the road. All these clues have left residence in anticipation about when the street will officially open to the public.
In the announcement, Playa Vista stressed the importance of turning the street over to the city because it will allow law enforcement to use radar enforcement and conduct studies that will establish speed limits on the road.
The announcement was made by Playa Vista on Facebook. Here’s the complete statement:
Attention Residents- For several years, there has been much anticipation about the opening of Bluff Creek Drive to full through traffic. After months of working with City of Los Angeles staff to conduct final inspections, Brookfield Residential anticipates that Bluff Creek Drive will be open to through traffic beginning early next week.
This is an important milestone for the community, because once open, the city can schedule a speed survey required by California law to establish the speed limit for Bluff Creek Drive, and the LAPD will be able to use radar enforcement on the street. It is anticipated that LADOT will conduct the speed survey within a few months after the roadway is completely open to the public.
PVPAL and Brookfield Residential are working with the LAPD and LADOT to expedite that process and identify other measures to decrease speeds on Bluff Creek Drive, such as the placement of interim speed limit signs, digital speed signs and rest-on-red signal timing. Drive safely!