Corona del Mar Today: Police campaign targets bicycle safety
Four local police agencies, including the Newport Beach Police Department, will join forces to conduct a Bicycle Safety Enforcement Operation on Feb. 19 and Feb. 24, police announced.
“Extra officers will be on duty patrolling areas frequented by bicyclists and vehicles,” according to a police news release. “Officers will be addressing traffic violations made by all vehicle operators, bicyclists, and other vehicle drivers that lead to bicycle vs. vehicle collisions, injuries and fatalities.”
Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach and the Costa Mesa police departments also are participating.
The program focuses on education, from the safe and lawful use of bicycles to the rules for vehicles that share roads with cyclists, the statement says.
“With more traffic congestion on our city streets and more people turning to bicycles as a transportation alternative, we need to make sure that all road users understand the rules, laws and safe behavior; particularly how bicyclists and motorists share the road,” the statement says.
Accidents could be avoided if cyclists followed California Vehicle Code requirements including that bicycles be operated on a roadway or shoulder of a highway in the same direction as the traffic flow; bicyclists must stop at stop signs and stop lights and yield the right of way to all traffic when entering or crossing a roadway; read that section here.
Motorists could avoid accidents if they follow California Vehicle Code that requires yielding when turning left; turning safely; stopping at red lights; and yielding lawfully to others in intersections.
Newport Beach Bicycle Safety Committee members said they were pleased with the program because it focuses on education and awareness.
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Shake Shack to reopen in April
The Shake Shack that overlooks Crystal Cove State Beach has closed, but will reopen in early April with a broader menu including burgers, fries and breakfast sandwiches and omelets.
The white building with blue trim will retain its old-style look, said Kimberly Myers, a Ruby’s spokeswoman.
“It’s still going to be its little darling self,” she said.
The kitchen of the tiny, 1040s-era shack will be remodeled to add a grill and fryer, Myers said. Currently, the menu offers shakes and other soft drinks, a few sandwiches and chips. When it reopens, it will offer the new Double Deluxe Burger in beef, turkey or veggie, along with fries, and a breakfast menu that will include omelets, egg sandwiches and burritos.
“We’re really excited about this,” she said.
Originally the Shake Shack was in a yellow, un-air-conditioned building and was known for its date shakes and ocean views. Ruby’s took over in the mid-2000s, changing the name to Ruby’s Crystal Cove Shake Shack.
The restaurant at 7703 E. Coast Hwy. closed Monday.
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Construction accident investigation underway
State investigators have opened an investigation into a construction accident that critically injured a worker in the Shore Cliffs neighborhood earlier last week.
An investigator visited the scene Thursday, said Krisann Chasarik, a spokeswoman for Department of Industrial Relations.
No further information about the investigation was immediately available.
The accident occurred at 2:26 p.m. Tuesday, when a worker fell about eight feet off a scaffolding in the 200 block of Evening Canyon Road. Witnesses said the man fell on a piece of metal rebar and injured his leg. Emergency crews were able to extricate the man within 15 minutes, and he was taken to a trauma center.
The man’s name was not released.
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Notice more traffic stops in CdM? Here’s why
Motorcycle officers seem to have descended on Corona del Mar last week, pulling over drivers on both sides of East Coast Highway during morning and evening rush hour.
Police said the increase patrols are tied to a CHP crackdown on texting while driving. The three-day campaign ended at midnight Thursday.
Police are looking for motorists who are holding phones while driving, who are younger than 18 and using phones while driving, or who are writing, reading, sending e-mails or texting while driving, said Sgt. Steve Burdette.
The Hands Free Ticket campaign began Tuesday and was organized by the California Highway Patrol, but agencies throughout Orange County are participating, Burdette said.
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Juice bar prepares to open CdM location
A Nekter Juice Bar will replace CeFiore, according to a sign in the window of the shop at 2801 E. Coast Hwy.
Nekter, which has a 17th Street shop in Costa Mesa, sells acai bowls and juice drinks with names like The Greenie and Toxin Flush, according to a company website. It also offers cleansing programs.
Sources have said that Nekter also will take over the Full Circle Fitness space adjacent to CeFiore, and that the gym will move a few blocks away to the 2500 block of East Coast Highway near El Ranchito.
An e-mail has been sent to Nekter seeking more information including a possible opening date.