CV Link Confusion: Getting Results
Karen Devine
LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) – Just days after Karen Devine’s I-Team investigation into confusing and potentially misleading signs along the CV Link in La Quinta, we’re already seeing results. The signs are now down, and officials are responding.
We first showed viewers the directional signs in La Quinta after residents using the path pointed out they didn’t make sense.
One local, Greg Snider, told us, “Hopefully people won’t walk off into the wash.”
After the initial report, we took those concerns straight to City Hall, the contractor, and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG).
Tonight, leaders acknowledge there was confusion and they’re fixing it.
From the path, Devine reported, “By raising your concerns and taking them straight to the officials in charge, we were holding them accountable and they listened.”
The confusing signs have been removed. The next questions remain: Who pays for the changes, and when will the new signs be installed?
La Quinta Mayor Linda Evans described the CV Link as a vital component for the city:“This CV Link component for us is a great connector… for our commercial corridor… for safe routes to schools… and it’s an alternative to cars on Highway 111.”
When asked about the confusing signage, the mayor explained she wasn’t involved in the wording or approval process but agreed that our investigation helped identify a problem, saying,“So, I want to say thank you, because I wasn’t aware of the decision-making on those signs.”
CVAG, the overall project manager for the CV Link, also took accountability, explaining:“CV Link is a massive project and our team has been actively working to address a punch list before we officially accept the project as done. It will be several more weeks of CVAG staff working with the contractor to refine signage.”
We also asked Mayor Evans if taxpayers would have to cover the cost of redoing or replacing the signs. She confirmed:“There’s been no money by taxpayers for the entire CV Link component it’s all grant money that has been funded by various agencies along the way. So, redo of signs would not be a taxpayer issue.”
The mayor also thanked viewers and this newsroom for flagging issues on the CV Link. She encouraged residents to report problems using the city’s app or website:“A picture always helps, and that way it triggers to that department, and we can make the connections needed. Or people can call CVAG directly, and they will assess that as they maintain this road with Desert Recreation District.”
We will continue to follow up on this story. To see my initial reporting on this issue, “Wrong Way: CV Link Confusion,” head to KESQ.com.
