MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA – After residents raised safety concerns about an intersection along a major thoroughfare between Murrieta and Temecula, authorities took notice.
On August 21, the Murrieta Transportation Commission will consider whether to recommend that the city install an all-way stop station at the intersection of Jackson Avenue and Magellan Street. The intersection is south of Murrieta Hot Springs Road, on the east side of Interstate 215 in Murrieta.
On one side of the Jackson Avenue intersection is an entrance to the large shopping center that houses Sam’s Club and Trader Joe’s. On the opposite side of the entrance on the other side of Jackson is Magellan Street, which leads in and out of the Jackson Crossing residential development.
There are stop signs on Magellan Street and the mall entrance, but there are no stop signs or traffic lights at the intersection for Jackson traffic.
For drivers traveling between Murrieta and Temecula, Jackson Avenue is often used as an alternative to Interstates 15 and 215. Ynez Road in Temecula becomes Jackson Avenue in Murrieta.
In 2014 – when Jackson was first connected to Ynez – residents of the Jackson Crossing neighborhood approached the city of Murrieta with their traffic concerns. Complaints included increasing traffic and high vehicle speeds, but also visibility, according to city documents. Residents said they could not see traffic on Jackson.
Community members wanted to install a stop sign or traffic light at the intersection.
According to the city, the intersection was monitored and evaluated, but it was ultimately concluded that the stops at Magellan Street and the entrance to the shopping center were sufficient.
The city also met with the Jackson Crossing Homeowners Association to discuss landscaping, which was “overgrown within the viewing area,” according to city documents. The HOA then removed shrubs and low vegetation and trimmed trees.
In February 2024, the City received additional requests to re-evaluate the intersection. The City conducted a new analysis which determined that a four-stop sign was still not justified.
However, because, according to the city, there is excessive plant growth that is “not consistently maintained or removed by the HOA within the line of sight,” city staff is now recommending the installation of a stop sign system at the intersection with warning signs, flashing lights and appropriate markings.
The planned improvements are expected to cost $10,000.
The Murrieta Transportation Commission meeting on August 21 at 6 p.m. is open to the public and will be held at City Hall, 1 Town Square.
