Downey installing block walls to satisfy traffic complaints

Residents living near Tempo Cantina petitioned the city for a block wall to reduce excess traffic. (Photo by Alex Dominguez)

DOWNEY – Downey will install block walls in two neighborhoods in an effort to mitigate traffic and parking complaints.

The first wall will be installed on Manzanar Avenue, just south of Telegraph Road. According to residents, drivers often use Manzanar to avoid the Telegraph Road and Lakewood Boulevard intersection, especially during rush hour.

“This movement not only affects quality of life on Manzanar Avenue, it also creates a safety concern for residents, including children,” Public Works Director Matthew Baumgardner wrote in a report to the city council.

The neighborhood also contends with traffic from Tacos Don Goyo, a taco restaurant on Telegraph Road.

Traffic from the restaurant “is a considerable inconvenience as customers frequently park and dine in their cars/trucks in the residential area eating, talking, and sometimes playing music until late at night,” Baumgardener’s report states.

“Weekends and evenings are particularly impactful, and the City has received numerous reports and has cited offenders when observed. Commercial customers have also been cited for parking on sidewalks and blocking residential driveways…”

Similarly, residents living on the Bergman Lane cul-de-sac requested a block wall to act as a buffer between homes and businesses, particularly Tempo Cantina, whose customers often park on residential streets.

In a poll of Bergman Lane residents conducted by the city, eight residences expressed support for a block and seven supported a wall with a locking gate to provide pedestrian access to Paramount Boulevard. Nine homes did not respond to the poll.

Construction is slated to begin in November of this year. The total estimated cost is $325,000.