New traffic lights and street lights for Desert Hot Springs

A roadside memorial sits on palm drive near the intersection of Camino Aventura to honor Pamela Carillo who died in March 2018, after she was struck by a car.

Incidents like it prompted city leaders 4 years ago to apply for and receive $6 million in grants to make streets and sidewalks safer.

“It is important for the city and I appreciate it very much that the city is doing the right thing for everyone,” said resident Roscel Villanueva.

Mayor Scott Matas tetlls News Channel 3 the first phase of the project which ends this month, includes a new traffic light at Camino Aventura, new side walks, signage for a special speed enforcement zone where fines are doubled, and now the foundations for 23 new street lights.

“We worked with one family that lost their daughter’s life recently last year, and helped build community support on putting a traffic signal in and making that stretch of the road safer,” said Matas.

Phase two will see the same improvements further north on Palm between Two Bunch Palms and Pierson Boulevard, with 30 more street lights and two more traffic signals. One on Palm at Desert View and one at Cholla and Pierson.

“It’s very important, especially for kids you know, getting off school buses and stuff like that,” said Villanueva.

Other improvements soon to be finished on Palm Drive include bus beacons, which are flashing lights on top of bus stops, and re-striping the lanes on Palm Drive, and making the lanes narrower, which Mayor Matas says will cause drivers to reduce their speeds.

Phase two of the project will get underway at the end of December, and take three to four months to complete.

Matas says the third phase of the project, which will begin in two years at the earliest, will target Hacienda Avenue, where street lights, sidewalks and bike lanes will be added.

KESQ