The recurring traffic violations at 6th and Valley Drive - where an estimated 100+ cars blow through the stop sign daily - continue to infuriate residents.

That intersection is of particular concern because it marks a point at which pedestrians,  bicycles, and cars cross the Greenbelt and Valley Drive when heading from the Hill Section down to the beach; and also a point at which youngsters may cross Valley on their way to Robinson Elementary.

The intersection had been the subject of a tongue-in-cheek campaign by Manhattan Beach Police in spring 2023 to get drivers to "Stop...Draggin My Heart," but scofflaws are still repeatedly ignoring the stop sign.

Resident Tom Williams, who has been creating a series of videos documenting drivers' failure to stop at 6th and Valley, shared a new video this week that shows multiple cars and even a giant construction vehicle blasting through the intersection. At one point a car nearly clips another car coming across 6th Street; in multiple instances, pedestrians narrowly avoid getting hit.

(See the full video at the bottom of this story.)

"Nothing has changed since last year," Williams told MB News. "Well that’s incorrect; what has changed is I’ve noticed enforcement dwindle to nothing."

When asked about enforcement at 6th and Valley, a police spokesperson told MB News, "Our traffic and patrol officers enforce all city stop signs and traffic laws. South Bay cities also come into our city and help with enforcement during special enforcement days. The sign with song lyrics [along Valley Drive] is no longer there."

Williams said that from his videos he has estimated that 6,000 cars pass through that intersection each day, and approximately 3% of them fail to stop. "But if only 3% of folks are completely blowing the stop sign, then that’s 180 cars," he said.

Neighbor Dana Lupton also expressed frustration. "The blatant disregard for right of way and posted traffic signs at 6th and Valley is egregious," she told MB News. "Not only do southbound vehicles consider stopping optional, the e-bikes come screaming down the hill and run the stop signs both southbound and westbound at high speed as well. The only people who aren’t using this particular area as an unpatrolled freeway are those of us who live here in the area."

A third neighbor, who did not want to be identified, added, "We can't safely back out of our garage without fear of being hit."

That situation has, unsurprisingly, resulted in close calls. 

"It’s crazy to see the cars I recognize blowing through the stop on Tom’s [Williams] videos," said Lupton. "I have called several parents to let them know their kids are running stop signs on bikes as well. One very important call to two mom friends was to let them know a car blew through the intersection while the kids were biking down 6th. It would have been a bad scene. But they stopped. [The moms] were beyond appreciative. In the meantime, I’m going to wear my horn out and poor Tom has to hear about it all too frequently."

Williams launched a Change.org petition in September 2022 calling for the city to take action at 6th and Valley. 

"Soft measures like re-stripping, increased enforcement, blinky stop signs, do not go far enough to address this issue. The only way to mitigate the speed with which people traverse these streets is to implement legitimate traffic calming measures like speed humps, lane narrowing, diverters, chicanes, etc.," Williams wrote in the petition.

Although the online petition was signed by more than 700 people, Williams said the city told him a petition would need to be hand-signed by neighbors. He is currently planning to launch a new petition.

The issue of cars failing to stop at critical intersections is an all-too-familiar one in Manhattan Beach. 

In July 2023, the city approved "traffic calming measures" along the northeastern-most stretch of Valley Drive between Sepulveda Blvd. and 27th Street. Those measures were enacted after a February 2023 accident involving a 6th grader on a bicycle spurred a group of residents to bring the issue to the City Council.

Williams' full collection of 6th and Valley videos include, Video 1, Video 2, Video 3, Video 4, Video 5, Video 6, Video 7, Video 8. 

The latest video is embedded below.