I noticed one of the negative comments revolved around the issue that the roundabouts were so small, cars drove over them. DUH! Why do you think they're so low? They are designed so that large vehicles (emergency vehicles, delivery trucks, etc) have the ability to ride over them without vehicle damage. As for the landscaping comment - really - you want to remove the plants and pave over them? REALLY? You're suggesting a cement circle would be a better design. You're gross. You know nothing of design or common sense. Enjoy your never-ending stop signs and two minute traffic lights, just leave my traffic circles alone.

Does anyone like driving on PCH (the 101?) through Del Mar? Disgusting!! I will not go to merchants/restaurants in downtown Del Mar because of the abominable traffic - so many stop signs... and more stop signs, and so much traffic. stopping and starting. I am sure there are many more people like me--I just avoid the hassle and so much wasted time WHEN I can go to other restaurants and shops. FOR EXAMPLE IN BIRDROCK. No thanks downtown La Jolla - too little parking---"mucho expensive parking tickets". When I drive down La Jolla Blvd every morning I see neighbors/people out and about. Sitting at tables and benches. Families walking on the wide sidewalks. No worries about getting hit and killed crossing the boulevard with the center medians. I have watched fire trucks speeding thru the roundabouts. THE TRAFFIC CIRCLES WERE ACTUALLY DESIGNED for large vehicles to go up on the curb a little. The people that seem to have a problem are the same ones that still haven't learned the correct rule of driving "YIELD TO TRAFFIC IN THE CIRCLE". I believe the updating and changing of Birdrock has vastly improved our quality of life. The traffic keeps moving...merchants and restaurants get business. We have easily accessible parking and this project has given our neighborhood an identity and a center to meet and greet visitors and neighbors. When I have out of state visitors they are amazed at what a upscale defined neighborhood this is--with it's own identity. They love to walk to get coffee or grab something to eat, or send something UPS etc. There were years of meetngs and discussions planning this beautification....so much thought, planning, input from residents. I am proud to live in Birdrock. And I am proud Birdrock is the red haired bastard stepchild of La Jolla. Although I think we should have lower growing drought tolerant landscaping on the medians just for safety's sake ---I love our trees growing and blooming yellow on the boulevard.

This project achieved the objectives of the neighbors when they first conceived it in 2002 – it slowed dangerous (even lethal) traffic, beautified the run-down boulevard, and created a space that businesses and the neighborhood could use and be proud of. After construction, which was undeniably difficult, the store operators were delighted that the slower drivers now notice their storefronts. As for the landscaping (and as a sign of the reaction of the public), it won’t be abandoned because the neighbors taxed themselves by establishing a maintenance assessment district to ensure that it’s kept up. That’s only happened once or twice in an established San Diego neighborhood. This is an example of government, business and community working together to support walkability. It’s been held out as a case study by federal transportation authorities, and was the subject of their workshop last year. The project is not perfect and maybe not right for every place. But it has won awards from public works associations, engineers, the Urban Lands Institute and Walk San Diego. Efforts like this need to be encouraged and appreciated if we expect to wean ourselves from 1970s-style wide streets and auto-only transportation. You could do that by giving it an orchid.

I think the Bird Rock Traffic Circles deserve an Orchid! The roundabouts are working as planned and should be considered for other parts of the region where pedestrian activity is encouraged, traffic calmed, and parking convenience improved. I think the drought tolerant landscaping visually breaks up a pretty broad swath of paving and adds to the appeal of the area. I don't know where this poster is coming from but the most of the business owners in the area I have spoken with love the changes.

This is an example of a good idea that needs repeating. How did it get on the onion list? Just maintain the landscaping! Get it trimmed on regular basis. This has made Bird Rock infinitely more walkable and pedestrian friendly. It is helping to revitalizing an over-looked area between La Jolla and PB. These are round-abouts not GLORIETAS like in Tijuana or Paris. Little surface street roundabouts that make traffic calm down and give pedestrians time to cross the street. I find it a huge improvement of the area and wonder how it can be critiqued enough to be put in the Onion category. Maintenance is the key issues here. It the plants are overgrown, hire a crew to do the trimming or plant different plants!

This street improvement project is very successful and looks and works great. for someone who lives in the neighborhood, this project is a great improvement. I also drive a small compact car and have never had 'so-called' visibility issues driving, walking, or biking is bird rock. the traffic calming design also create a more pedestrian scale for the neighborhood. this is much better than adding stop sign everywhere. the landscaping looks lush, and has a low water plant palette. I vote Orchid!!!

Not sure where this nomination came from but I use this landscape treatments as a good example of what to do. The visibility is fine, the traffic circles work, they have created a sense of place, they define the corridor, the landscape treatments help to calm the traffic and show as a very good addition to the area.

The roundabouts installed along La Jolla Boulevard are well designed traffic calming devices that have helped to soften the appearance and feel of La Jolla Boulevard, from that of an auto corridor which alienated pedestrians and discouraged pedestrian activity, to a beautiful boulevard intended to integrate the needs of the motorist and pedestrian. If vehicles are driving up the curbs then that signals that the motorist should slow down. Streets do not need to be extra wide to accommodate fast-moving cars, rather sometimes cars must slow down to account for the surrounding environment and the people that interact with it. Well done City of San Diego for completing the project. It is unfortunate that some feel such a well designed street and landscape plan is deserving of an Onion. I recommend that this be moved to an Orchid category.

A great example of how landscape can enhance and beautify a busy urban area. Roundabouts lend themselves perfectly to provide planting spaces. What a huge difference this project has made to the community. I can't wait till the trees get larger and provide pockets of shade, so desperately needed along our urban streets. I count this project as a success from conception to completion.

Only the largest vehicles drive over the "mountable curbs" which were designed for this very purpose. Better that the curbs are driven over than the people who are crossing the street, which is what was happening before the roundabouts were built. Their success is a testimony to the public participation process, the dedication of Scott Peters, the commitment of Mike Arnold and Gary Chui, and the excellent construction management of the contractor. Jim

The roundabout landscaping is very beautiful. The flowering plants have gorgeous flowers much of the year. It is very pleasant to walk around the area. The actual roundabouts are easy to maneuver. The roundabouts have been constructed to allow for large vehicles such as fire trucks or delivery trucks to drive over the outer circle. With this, the circles were the right size to keep the Bird Rock business district quaint by still allowing the needed traffic to get through the area.

Although this nominator did not submit photos with their nomination, you can link to photos here: http://orchidsandonions.org/2009/06/2/bird-rock-roundabouts-and-traffic-...