Traffic calming on 12th Street: the 12th and Oak circle After many years of neighborhood complaints about 12th Street traffic problems, Councilman Lingner responded by offering a traffic circle at the 12th/Oak intersection. Funding through a City Council pilot program was available for one circle in each city council district, and Coronado was selected for the District 7 circle. By February 2005, city traffic engineers had determined that a circle was feasible in the small intersection and the process began. Property owners on the four corners gave their okay. Then Traffic Committee members helped Salem (of Sunshine Market) gather signatures of support from residents within this boundary. After a year in design phase, the plan was unveiled at a public open house in February. Construction began at the end of May and was complete in August 2006. A hearty group of 20 braved the July heat to thank Doug Lingner for the City Council pilot program circle, his support for Coronado through three Fight Backs, and for having the vision to support $10 million in collector street traffic mitigation in the recent bond election. His assistant, Rosa Pulido (far right in photo), was also there. (She was always there for us through three years of Fight Back efforts, come to think of it!) Drivers were confused at first, but managed to figure out the simple rules of "look left, stay right" and "yield to any car, bicycle or pedestrian that is already in the circle" pretty quickly. (And yes, if you're not going straight through, please indicate your intentions with your turn signal.) It seems to be working, slowing drivers and allowing traffic to move through the intersection calmly. Street lighting at the four approaches to the intersection create a more pedestrian-friendly atmosphere and enhance the historic quality of the neighborhood thanks to Wayne Murray's efforts and the cooperation of Phoenix Historic Preservation Officer Barbara Stocklin to get "historic" lighting instead of standard "cobrahead" lights. The Fight Back Southwest has continued the plea for additional traffic calming farther south on 12th Street, and their request now awaits the availability of collector street bond funding, perhaps as soon as 2008. For continuing traffic updates, visit Streets & Traffic Issues on the CNA Forum, read your Coronado Dispatch newsletter, or attend a monthly general meeting of the Coronado Neighborhood Association. Meeting times are posted on the homepage.

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