City of Lakewood, CA

09/02/2026 | Press release | Archived content

Studebaker Road and Palo Verde Avenue project update

Studebaker Road and Palo Verde Avenue project update

Published on September 02, 2026

Thank you, Lakewood, for continuing to participate in the Studebaker Road and Palo Verde Avenue traffic calming projects.

These projects are the result of a multi-year public process that began with the City's Local Road Safety Plan and continued through the Uncontrolled Crosswalk Study and Neighborhood Traffic Calming Study.

Project history

Since 2020, traffic calming and pedestrian safety in these areas have been discussed at more than two dozen public City Council (CC), Public Safety Committee (PSC), Community Safety Commission (CSC) and Capital Improvement Program Committee (CIPC) meetings and updates.

Period Project progress
2020-2021 Traffic safety concerns and possible improvements reviewed - The City began reviewing roadway safety concerns as part of its Local Road Safety Plan. Crosswalk safety studies and other potential improvements were also considered.
2022-2023 Roadway and pedestrian safety work continued - The Local Road Safety Plan was completed, and the City continued studying pedestrian crossings and other traffic-safety improvements.
2024 Neighborhood traffic-calming study launched - The City Council approved an engineering study to identify neighborhood traffic hotspots and evaluate methods for reducing speeding, stop-sign violations and other unsafe driving.
2025 Traffic-calming plans developed and reviewed - The study identified Palo Verde Avenue and Studebaker Road among priority locations for traffic-calming improvements. Proposed pilot measures were developed and reviewed by City committees and the City Council.
2026-present Pilot projects tested and evaluated - Temporary traffic-calming improvements were installed on Studebaker Road and Palo Verde Avenue in spring 2026. The City evaluated traffic data and resident feedback before the City Council approved moving forward with permanent improvements in June.

Community outreach

The City has conducted extensive neighborhood outreach specifically for the pilot projects, including:

  • Bilingual online and printed surveys
  • Postcards mailed to nearby residents
  • Community canvassing at parks and surrounding neighborhoods
  • Door-to-door outreach and collection of written surveys
  • On-site project banners and QR codes
  • Multiple public meetings and project updates before and during the pilot program

We heard you

The pilot program was intentionally designed to allow the City to test the improvements, collect community feedback and traffic data, and make adjustments before permanent construction.

Based on what we heard from residents and what the City's engineering team observed during the pilot, the permanent designs include additional modifications to address the most common concerns.

These include adjustments to traffic-circle geometry and approaches, improved signage and visibility, pedestrian-access improvements and other location-specific refinements.

Pilot project results and renderings

Most recently, 587 survey responses were received regarding the pilot projects, with a majority of respondents indicating that the City should move forward with final design and construction.

View the Palo Verde Avenue survey results flyer.(PDF, 4MB)

View the Studebaker Road survey results flyer.(PDF, 6MB)

Data collected demonstrates that the pilot improvements are achieving their primary goals of slowing traffic, discouraging "cut-through driving" (as indicated by the reduction of average daily traffic volumes at both sites), reducing impacts on adjacent neighborhoods, and improving pedestrian access to the park.

The renderings below show how the traffic circles are anticipated to look following permanent construction and incorporation of these modifications.

Palo Verde Avenue renderings

Studebaker Road rendering

Watch the short video below for a virtual fly-through over the Studebaker Road roundabout. Please note the area/structures surrounding the corridor shown in the video are generated from a global system and may not be to scale, but the transportation design elements reflect engineering plans for final construction.

Studebaker-Road-Fly-through-Check.mp4

Final implementation schedule

Final improvements are currently anticipated to begin on Palo Verde and Candlewood from September through October 2026 (pending weather).

Palo Verde improvements include:

  • Enhanced geometry for better vehicular circulation
  • Enhanced signage and pavement markings
  • A hardscaped roundabout with mountable curbs (interior roundabout design consideration for future improvements (to be determined)
  • Relocation of the bus stop at Candlewood Street
  • ADA accessibility improvements
  • Additional coordination with Fire and Sheriff's Departments

Final improvements on Studebaker are currently anticipated to begin late September through November 2026 (pending weather).

Studebaker improvements include:

  • Enhanced geometry for better vehicular circulation
  • Installation of concrete medians and bulb-outs for clearer separation of Studebaker traffic from surface parking lot
  • Additional signage, yield markings and driver guidance
  • Hardscaped roundabouts with mountable curbs(interior roundabout design consideration for future improvements (to be determined)
  • Parking lot circulation changes to discourage use of parking lot as detour to Studebaker
  • ADA curb ramps and pedestrian improvements
  • Additional vehicle separation/buffer at the Studebaker and Centralia curve
  • Bus stop improvements/relocation for better circulation and safety
  • Installation of new concrete sidewalk from Gridley to Rynerson Park

Additional information about construction timing, traffic impacts and the final improvements will continue to be provided as work progresses.

We're continuing the conversation

Residents will have another opportunity to speak directly with the project outreach team:

Saturday, Sept. 5:

  • Rynerson Park (near the dog park)
    10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Palo Verde (near the project site)
    12 to 2 p.m.

Please stop by to receive more detailed project information and printed materials, ask questions or continue to share your feedback.

Stay tuned for the next survey to help determine the final design image for the center of each traffic circle.

Questions?

For more information, please contact the City of Lakewood:

Improved safety

The data collected during the pilot period demonstrates measurable improvements at both locations.

On Palo Verde Avenue, vehicle speeds were reduced by as much as 27%, while cut-through traffic decreased by approximately 15-20%, reducing neighborhood traffic impacts and making it easier for residents to enter and exit their driveways.

On Studebaker Road, cut-through traffic decreased by as much as 32%, 85th-percentile vehicle speeds were reduced by 7.5% and pedestrian activity accessing Rynerson Park increased from 17 to 51 pedestrians-a 200% increase.

Roundabouts

What is a roundabout?

A roundabout is a circular intersection where traffic moves counterclockwise around a center island. Drivers slow down, yield before entering and travel through at lower speeds.

Why use them?

Roundabouts are designed to:

  • Slow traffic
  • Reduce severe crashes
  • Improve traffic flow

How to use a roundabout

  • Slow down as you approach
  • Yield to traffic already in the roundabout
  • Enter when clear and travel counterclockwise
  • Signal when exiting

If you miss your exit, continue around and take the next one.

City of Lakewood, CA published this content on September 02, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 05, 2026 at 18:09 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]