New Intersection Causing Headache for Some Novato Drivers

Have you driven through the new intersection at Redwood Boulevard and Olive Avenue?

Three weeks ago, the city replaced the stop signs with a new light put in an attempt to improve traffic flow. But some Novato drivers say the changes have made the intersection confusing and dangerous.

“I think it's an accident waiting to happen,” said Paula Neese, a Novato driver when asked about the improvements on our Facebook page. “Left turn onto Redwood is even worse then Grant. What were they thinking?”

Karen Kessler was equally unimpressed.

“It sucks that the left turns off of Olive to Redwood are not protected,” she said. “(There’s) hardly any time to make the turn.”

Andrew Poster, Novato’s new Interim Public Works Director said the intersection is a work in progress.

“The signal timing has been adjusted, but we are continuing to make improvements,” Poster said. “The main challenge is motorists are used to stopping twice at that intersection and no longer are required to do so.”

Some drivers suggested that striping the turn out lanes would go a long way toward clearing up confusion and that remains an option, Poster.

"We're considering how much of an impact the striping will have whether we want to put in stripes in both directions or one," he said.

Poster said that no accidents have been reported in the intersection since the improvements were done. And, he said, it's just a matter of time before drivers get used to the new layout.

"Folks that aren’t used to the area are just driving through the intersection no problem," Poster said. "People are from the area are treating it as two separate intersections. So it's a matter of retraining them."

The city is also working with the Calfornia Department of Fish and Game to widen Olive Avenue to cover a drainage ditch and eventually add a right turnout lane, although it may take several years for all approvals and funding to come in.

Have a question or concern you’d like Novato Patch to look into? Email Local Editor Karina Ioffee at karina@patch.com