Residents near 26th and Washington approached the City Council in August 2000 with concerns of danger crossing the street. Following community meetings and input from traffic engineers and urban designers, a roundabout was proposed to address the need for better pedestrian crossing without substantially changing neighborhood traffic patterns. With neighbor support, the Council approved the final design and construction of the roundabout in October 2002.

All work is now complete.

Roundabouts are used in many parts of the world to move traffic safely and efficiently through busy intersections. Seen in more and more American communities, the roundabout is a circular intersection where vehicles entering the intersection yield to vehicles already in the intersection, keeping traffic from locking up and allowing free flow of movement. In Santa Monica, a landscaped median island in the center of the intersection, with landscaping at the corners and small medians at the intersection’s approaches, will add welcome green space to the area.

The roundabout was part of a $4.7 million pedestrian improvement project which included enhancements to Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard, Broadway, Ocean Park Boulevard, 26th Street and Pearl/17th Streets. This project included crosswalk enhancements such as: in-pavement flashers, new signals, curb extensions, pavement treatments, the roundabout, median islands, and landscaping. The project was completed in 2003.

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