At its July 15 Study Session, the Beverly Hills City Council provided direction on the implementation of safety improvements to Benedict Canyon Drive after residents expressed concerns over speeding and problematic driver behavior. The improvements are part of the city’s annual pavement marking project for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
Earlier this year, residents reported a number of car crashes on Benedict Canyon Drive, some of which resulted in property damage to their homes. Jessie Holzer Carpenter, transportation planner at the city’s Public Works Department, said that Benedict Canyon Drive’s wide, single travel lanes in both directions may contribute to excessive speeding and increased crash risk as well as cause confusion on the number of lanes actually available on the street. She reported that speed surveys on Benedict Canyon indicate that the 85th percentile speed is 42 miles per hour, which is 20% higher than the posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour.
To address these concerns, the Public Works Department consulted with the Beverly Hills Police Department to develop a lane striping plan. This would add painted edge lines between travel lanes and parking lanes to deter excessive speeding but does not reduce the number of travel lanes or on-street parking spaces. The edge lines would create 11-foot travel lanes and 9-foot parking lanes. Carpenter added that the cost of lane striping is approximately $5,000 to install as part of the pavement marking project.
Carpenter reported that the plan is approved by the city’s police and fire departments and supported by the Traffic and Parking Commission.
Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Stainbrook agreed that speeding is an issue on Benedict Canyon, but also expressed concerns about the flow of traffic if the safety improvements are implemented.
Mayor Sharona Nazarian addressed the root of the safety issues, which include speeding on Benedict Canyon during non-peak hours and the confusion its wide lanes cause.
“I think that even though [Benedict Canyon Drive] is a single lane, people understand it to be two lanes,” said Nazarian.
“I do think that during the high-traffic times, the striping would merely be showing what the law is—that there’s not two lanes,” Councilmember Lester Friedman noted.
Vice Mayor John Mirisch said he would support adding a right-turn lane on Tower Road, which was suggested by some residents at the June 5 Traffic and Parking Commission meeting.
Following the council’s direction on the project, Nazarian concluded the discussion by indicating the intent to revisit the matter at a future meeting, potentially after Public Works has had an opportunity to evaluate additional safety enhancements, such as a right-turn lane on Tower Road.
