Officials change traffic pattern at light

Intersection of Fairview, Paularino, where man died last month, has light system reworked.Costa Mesa city officials last week made a change to the traffic light at Fairview Road and Paularino Avenue following an incident when a Costa Mesa man was broadsided and killed by an oncoming car.

The signal, which previously allowed motorists to make a left turn on a solid green after yielding to oncoming traffic, now only permits a left turn on the green arrow.

Joseph Suhesky, 73, was killed while trying to turn left from Fairview Road onto Paularino Avenue. Costa Mesa Transportation Manager Peter Naghavi said the change wasn’t made solely because of the fatal accident, but the accident did “bring it [the change] to light.”

“If it can save lives that’s very important to us ... that’s our No. 1 priority,” Naghavi said.

Previously the intersection first allowed motorists to turn on a left turn arrow, then switched to a solid green light, allowing motorists to turn left only after yielding to oncoming traffic.

Although the intersection at Paularino and Fairview does not experience particularly high traffic, it is an area where drivers are traveling at high speeds, Naghavi said.

“It does present issues when drivers, some in California, don’t really pay attention to lights,” Naghavi said.The new signal, though more safe, may cause some traffic delays if there are several cars waiting to turn left onto Paularino, Naghavi said.

The duration of the green arrow should allow for three or four cars at a time to make the turn. If waiting for the arrow causes cars to stick out from the turn pocket, the city may extend the left turn pocket to hold more cars, Naghavi said.

This year, there have been six accidents at that intersection, three resulting in injuries, Carver said.

“It’s not any more dangerous than any other intersection,” Carver said.

The city is considering changing to left turn arrows at several other intersections throughout the city, Naghavi said.

The intersection of Fairview Road and McCormick Avenue, West 19th Street and Anaheim Avenue, and Bristol Street and Randolph Avenue are other areas where a signal change is being considered, Naghavi said.20051209ir7hywknMARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)A white Mercedes Benz makes a left turn onto Paularino Avenue from Fairview Road on Thursday.