The proposed location of the La Jolla Chabad Center will exacerbate safety concerns that already exist in the

La Jolla Parkway, Hidden Valley Road, and Ardath Road intersections (locally referred to as “THE THROAT”).

 Hidden Valley Road, designated as a two-lane collector street with a maximum allowable ADT of 5,000 vehicles, is significantly over capacity.  The 2007 Torrey Pines Corridor Study recorded more than 14,000 ADTs which is more than twice the maximum allowable capacity.  This has created a dangerous situation for (1) drivers, (2) residents, and (3) pedestrians.

The photos on this page show cars queued as far south as the Via Capri and Hidden Valley Road intersection as they wait to reach the THROAT intersection. 

Intense congestion and long queues on northbound Hidden Valley Road frustrate drivers as they incrementally make their way, light change by light change, to the THROAT.  Drivers sometimes act upon that frustration and in doing so, violate the law.  When this happens, safety is dangerously compromised.

Looking at the map above, three serious situations are a daily occurrence.  Drivers traveling north (red line on Hidden Valley Road) cross over into the on-coming southbound traffic lane and speed down Hidden Valley Road to accomplish one of three possible scenarios.  They do this to:

 (1) by-pass the long line to reach the left-turn lane at the THROAT (red line),

 (2) cut in front of traffic where Ardath Road intersects Hidden Valley Road so they may jump in line to proceed straight ahead at the THROAT (blue line), or

 (3) by-pass the long line and then turn right across two lanes of stopped traffic (green line) to reach the

 These three maneuvers are all illegal.  These three maneuvers all begin with a northbound car traveling in the southbound lane of Hidden Valley Road.

 What follows below are examples as shown by the map and the above scenarios.

This wrong-way driver is traveling north on Hidden Valley Road but in the southbound lane to more quickly reach the left-turn lanes at the THROAT.   

Additionally, this puts a driver exiting Ardath Road onto Hidden Valley Road at risk since the driver would not expect the wrong-way driver to suddenly appear when all the other cars are stopped for the light.

In this situation, two cars travel in opposite directions but do so in the same lane.  The wrong-way driver is not only a danger to the on-coming cars, but is also a danger to residents exiting driveways.  The resident does not expect a car in the wrong lane to rush across the driveway when all other cars are stopped.

This wrong-way driver pulled out behind northbound waiting cars into the on-coming southbound traffic lane and then turned right directly across the two lanes of waiting northbound traffic to gain access to the Ardath Road merge onto La Jolla Parkway.  Additionally any car legally exiting Ardath Road onto Hidden Valley Road is put at risk for a head-on collision.

Note the two pedestrians on the left.  Pedestrians who cross Hidden Valley Road seldom use the designated crosswalk at the THROAT.  The reason is due to safety:  the crosswalk covers six traffic lanes, and there is too much traffic turning in and around this area that pedestrians do not feel safe even in the crosswalk.  Instead, pedestrians cross at the Ardath Road and Hidden Valley Road intersection where there are fewer lanes. Cars do not expect to see pedestrians cross these lanes.  Nor do pedestrians expect cars traveling north in the southbound lane. 

Additionally, note the car backing out of the driveway that narrowly misses being hit by another car.  Cars making U-turns soon after passing through the intersection are a danger as they use nearby driveways.  They also make U-turns at the intersection of Hidden Valley Road and Ardath Road often blocking traffic until the light turns and they can complete the U-turn.

Large construction and service vehicles often park in the “No Parking” zone to offload materials and/or heavy equipment.  This narrows the already squeezed area where traffic must merge into one lane immediately after accessing the southbound lanes of Hidden Valley Road.  This causes additional back-up onto the THROAT intersection and in turn, traffic is temporarily blocked when the light changes at the THROAT.

Property Damage 

Property Damage is another issue.  Homeowners on Hidden Valley Road directly across from the proposed Chabad project have had to replace their mailbox two times.  The resident’s first mailbox was knocked down by a driver who went over the curb to avoid a collision.  The second mailbox was also hit by a car, which overturned causing a several-hour neighborhood power outage.  A signpost directly across from this has also been hit.

These are typical examples of the unsafe driving conditions in and around the THROAT.  As a consequence, this area has numerous collisions.  The proposed Chabad location with its gated driveway close to a blind corner creates an additional danger.  Cars must slow down and wait to enter the proposed underground garage. 

Collision and Citation Data

 The Automated Regional Justice Information System (ARJIS) documents citation and collision data.  Data was collected for all citations and collisions within ¼ mile radius of 2475 Hidden Valley Road (i.e., one house away from the proposed Chabad) over two different one-year time periods.  This ¼ mile radius area thus reflects citations and collisions associated with LJ Parkway, Ardath Road, Torrey Pines Road, and Hidden Valley Road intersections, that is, the area immediately surrounding the proposed Chabad location.  It should be noted that the data does not reflect minor fender benders as these are handled by the parties involved and not the police.  The following table shows two, one year periods of citation and collision data.  

*  ARJIS recorded four additional collisions been between JUL 10 and AUG 10, 2008.

 These data show an unacceptable level of increasing collision risk.  Citation data is available only when the police have time to set up a speed trap.  (Detailed citation data shows multiple tickets written in a short time period at single locations.)  What is far more significant in the data is the increasing number of collisions that occur in within this ¼ mile radius from the proposed Chabad.  In a little over one year, there has been a 50% increase in collisions.  There are now more than two collisions each month.

 The accident pictured below occurred about 5:30 p.m. on a Friday - the time when congregants would be passing thorugh the intersection en route to Shabbat services if the proposed Chabad complex is constucted.





As reported in the Traffic Impact Analysis for Chabad La Jolla (Figure 4-1), 88% of individuals currently attending Chabad activities and services pass through the THROAT intersection in order to access the proposed Chabad location.  Eleven percent of the current attendees utilize Ardath Road and one percent utilize Hidden Valley Road. This report only states what happens now.  It is unknown how these percentages will change once the Chabad reaches synagogue capacity.  No matter from which direction Chabad attendees arrive, they  increase the number of cars that must turn from Hidden Valley Road onto Ardath Road and then into the Chabad location thereby increasing collision risk. 

 More importantly, what is not included in this report is the potential impact special events (bar/bat mitzvahs, weddings, and other social occasions) will have on the “thresholds of significance” at the THROAT intersection.  The building occupancy far exceeds the proposed underground parking capacity.  Therefore, these additional cars must be parked outside the Chabad property on streets already over impacted by traffic.  Once out of their cars, they place themselves at further risk as pedestrians.  

Traffic counts measure traffic volume.  They do not measure safety.  The potential location of the Chabad Center at the corner of Hidden Valley Road and Ardath Road guarantees increased collisions and potential personal injury.

 It is unrealistic and unconscionable to simply dismiss this as a law enforcement issue.  Unless the police are present at these intersections on a continual basis, these unsafe driving maneuvers will continue.  Not only that, queuing caused by the additional traffic flow into and out of the Chabad property will increase the frequency of the illegal traffic maneuvers.  This is a set up for an accident and eventually severe injury or death.