I'm still waiting to talk to someone who isn't associated with the project that thinks the California Roundabout was a good use of $3 million – even if it was "grant money". You can review the history of the project here, here and here. I usually tell the naysayers that a good part of the money "went underground" where drainage work was needed, but that doesn't convince many people. Here is one example of the local sentiment sent to the Voice
There are no less than 30 luminaires. It's completely over-the-top and over-designed. There is such a thing as overlighting leading to light pollution and this is the textbook example. This is what happens when consultants design things and city staff missed it or ok’d it anyway. Who’s paying for the electric bill? And couldn’t they have combined poles to cut down on the forest of streetlights, pedestrian poles and traffic sign poles? There’ll be easily near a hundred new poles with this project.
Meanwhile we have streets that desperately need streetlights. Like Carolan where there have been pedestrian injuries rr California between Broadway and the Caltrain station. I wish a crane could lift some of the roundabout lights and put them where they are really needed.
But there is no sense crying over spilt milk I suppose. I just have to stop asking myself as I gingerly weave around the various obstacles "what problem were we trying to solve?"
Photo credit: Roving Voice correspondent
