The spot where Highways 1, 41 and Main Street meet in Morro Bay could get a makeover.
“It's just an accident waiting to happen with the kids from the high school crossing the street and people barreling through the intersection,” said Linda Trejo, who lives in Morro Bay.
People in Morro Bay have an opportunity to share their thoughts on the future of this busy intersection next week.
“People running the stop sign, obviously not paying attention to oncoming citizens,” said Keegan Czirvan, who lives in Morro Bay.
At the intersection, there’s a stop sign and a flashing light.
“It's a little hard to see the stop sign,” said Azul Hernandez, who stopped for gas in Morro Bay.
The City of Morro Bay is considering a couple of options to mitigate traffic in this area.
“One option proposed at the intersection is to put in a roundabout, but that's not necessarily what the city is going to do,” explained Greg Kwolek, City of Morro Bay Director of Public Works.
Both Czirvan and Trejo disagree with having a roundabout in that area.
“I think it's too much because honestly, people come down this road about 60, 70 miles an hour and they're expecting a stop sign,” Czirvan said. “It’s going to freak people out, especially with the big trucks coming through.”
“I think a signal would work because people don't understand the roundabouts; it's more confusing,” Trejo said.
The goal is to have the intersection ready to go by 2025.
“Another option would be to put in traffic signals, but because that is a dual intersection with the on and off ramps and with the intersection of 41 and 1, there would have to be two signals there,” Kwolek added. “A third option is to essentially leave it as it is and maybe put in new pedestrian striping. ”
The city is asking for input, and they are already engaging with impacted community members.
“We’ve already met with the Student Senate at Morro Bay High School. We see the high school as one of our biggest stakeholders because many of the students, parents, teachers and administrators have to go through that intersection to get to the high school every day,” Kwolek said.
If you want to share your ideas, there will be a meeting on May 10, 2023, at 6 p.m. at the Morro Bay Community Center.
After that meeting, it will go to the city council on June 13, 2023, for deliberation.
