To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: ANDREW WINJE, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
TITLE
title
APPROVE REMOVAL OF THE NORTHBOUND STOP SIGN ON S IRENA AVENUE AT OPAL STREET
end
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City received a traffic calming request for the closely spaced intersections of Torrance Boulevard at S. Irena Avenue (Torrance/Irena) and S. Irena Avenue at Opal Street (Irena/Opal). Engineers from the City analyzed and proposed potential solutions, which were presented to the Public Works, Safety, and Sustainability Commission (PWSSC) meeting on March 23, 2026. Notice of that meeting was provided to area residents. The PWSSC voted in favor of staff's proposed left-turn calming measures, which are currently in procurement. In addition, the PWSSC voted in favor of removing the northbound stop sign on S. Irena at Opal. If approved by the City Council, this would improve a highly unusual condition where one of the through street approaches of a T-intersection is stop-controlled while the other is not.
Staff and the PWSSC recommends removing the northbound Irena stop-controlled approach to make this intersection more consistent with what drivers encounter at similar locations.
BACKGROUND
At the March 23, 2026 PWSSC meeting, staff presented potential traffic calming measures to improve vehicular trave at Torrance/Irena and Irena/Opal. Residents' comments were generally in favor of the proposed traffic calming measures; however, residents expressed a hesitation to change a traffic condition that has been existing for decades. Additional research was conducted after the meeting to understand the origin of the current configuration of the intersections. Staff was not able to find specific prior Council action that installed the northbound stop on Irena and Opal. Staff does note that, in the past, Opal, Irena, and Torrance were one large intersection with Opal connecting directly with Torrance. Opal Street was most likely through-running at Irena before the sect...
Click here for full text