Portion of West Mall in Atascadero to become one-way street

City making efforts to improve enhance safety, downtown vitality, add additional free parking

– West Mall from Palma Avenue to El Camino Real will become a one-way street as of Tuesday, July 16. This conversion from a two-way street is part of the current construction for the El Camino Real Downtown Safety and Parking Enhancements Project to improve public safety, foster downtown vitality, and add more free parking spaces.

With the transition to a one-way street, traffic circulation on West Mall will complement East Mall which is also a one-way street (opposite direction) that features both angled and parallel parking. Both streets act as connections to Sunken Gardens, Atascadero City Hall, and the Atascadero Middle School. Signage will be installed to inform motorists of the change. New parking layout will create 28 new angled parking spaces next to Sunken Gardens while maintaining 13 parallel spaces adjacent to businesses, resulting in 12 additional parking spaces.

A thorough traffic analysis was performed during project development that supports converting this portion of West Mall to a one-way street.

The project will deliver the following improvements and benefits to a 0.6-mile stretch of El Camino Real between Highway 41 and Rosario Avenue:

• Limit traffic to one lane in each direction to improve safety, increase parking, and enhance the downtown experience
• Additional crosswalks with higher visibility
• A full overhead signalized pedestrian crossing at East Mall to expand safety
• Over 100 new free parking spaces, including ADA-accessible spaces
• ADA accessibility improvements including new driveways and sidewalks
• Over 25 new street trees for shade and aesthetics
• In-ground planters along a center median with potted planters along the sidewalk
• Hanging pendant lights and street lights throughout the project area
• Rain garden planters to capture and treat stormwater runoff
• Designated loading zones for deliveries, drop-offs, and pickups

The primary goal of the project is to improve public safety. The enhancements will provide a positive impact by reducing vehicle speed, improving visibility for roadway users, expanding walkability, and accommodating multi-modal transportation.

The project is also designed to boost economic development. Over the past five-plus years, Atascadero has experienced significant development downtown, and construction of this project is anticipated to accelerate the growth of the downtown core. The project’s improvements will enhance aesthetics and create a safer, easier-to-access area that increases foot traffic and business growth.

Community members can sign up for construction news by visiting Atascadero.org/News-List.

For more information about The ECR Project, and to stay informed on project construction, visit Atascadero.org/ECRProject.