Pier Avenue median retained
A center divider proved divisive on Tuesday, as police officers, firefighters and bicycle enthusiasts unsuccessfully urged the City Council to rethink a landscaped median planned for upper Pier Avenue. The median is one element in an ongoing overhaul of the city’s main drag that includes wider sidewalks, an improved storm drain system and larger planted areas. The city’s police and fire chiefs have said their public safety efforts would not be hampered by the median, which will be broken at intersections to allow vehicles to turn. The rank and file disagreed, sending letters to the council urging them to rethink the plan. “We feel that a center island will delay response time to police calls for service,” wrote Sgt. Jaime Ramirez, president of the Hermosa Beach Police Officers Association. Police vehicles will no longer be able to get around traffic by driving down the middle of the roadway, he wrote. “The potential significant traffic backup, especially during peak times and events, may significantly impact our access and response times,” wrote firefighter Aaron Bush, president of the Hermosa Beach Firefighters Association. Prominent bicycle enthusiasts also asked for an…
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