The Orange City Council at their September 23rd meeting discussed further measures to attempt to decrease the number of car crashes into the park at the center of the Orange Circle.
At the suggestion of the Mayor, the Honorable Dan Slater, the council voted to have city staff install additional reflectors around the park while further measures and costs were determined. Less than 48 hours later crews from the Public Works Department installed reflectors on the curbing of the park at each of the 4 entrances to the circle from Glassell Street and Chapman Avenue.
While the additional reflectors were installed in areas already containing existing reflectors, it does appear that the new ones did slightly increase the visibility of the circle. Whether it will deter any future incursions into the park is impossible to determine.
The City Councils discussions seemed to be favoring the addition of a small number of strong collision resistant steel bollards at key entry points to the park aligned with the paths of cars from past accidents. Common sense would dictate that this is likely the best and most cost effective solution. Specific details are expected to be voted on in the next few months.
The park in the middle of the Orange Circle is named Plaza Park and has been the scene of dozens of crashes, many resulting in fatalities. The first known crash is documented to have occurred in 1913.
This Orange City Council appears determined to be the one that finally takes steps aimed at eliminating future incursions into the park and to reduce accidents at the perimeter as much as possible.
