Friday Gazette: August 7, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Friday! It's International Beer Day! Where's your favorite spot to clink glasses when celebrating a milestone or just the end of the week? Whether it's a cold pint or a non-alcoholic pour, today's about good company and good conversation. Let us know where your go-to spot is!
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TRANSPORTATION
City's 2026 Signal Priority List Highlights Top Traffic Needs
Staff say the list is a planning tool, not a construction plan, as Victoria Avenue's top-ranked intersection stays signal-free.
Riverside's new signal priority list shows which intersections may eventually get traffic signals — but it's not a construction plan.
Why it matters: If your intersection tops the list, don't expect a signal soon — funding, engineering judgment and city priorities determine whether projects actually move forward.
Driving the news: Transportation staff presented the 2026 rankings Wednesday, evaluating 51 unsignalized intersections using state traffic-signal warrants plus local factors like collision history and pedestrian activity.
- Principal Transportation Planner Ethan Sun said the city evaluates every request using the same objective criteria.
By the numbers: Washington Street and Victoria Avenue topped the list with 112 points, followed by Spruce Street and Rustin Avenue (95) and Palm Avenue and Dewey Avenue (88).
Yes, but: The top-ranked Washington/Victoria intersection won't get a signal — city policy preserves the historic Victoria Avenue corridor, so staff would weigh other traffic-control options instead.
The backstory: The ranking has no maximum score because it's designed to compare intersections against each other, not against a fixed benchmark.
- Meeting a warrant doesn't guarantee a signal — funding, right-of-way and environmental limits also factor in.
- Staff said medians, turn restrictions or neighborhood traffic circles sometimes work better than a signal.
What's next: Riverside runs more than 400 signalized intersections and holds quarterly meetings with Caltrans on freeway-ramp congestion, staff told the board.
Read and share the complete story...
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Adoptable Pet of the Week
Meet Windsor!
Meet this week’s featured furry friend from the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center. Dedicated to eliminating pet homelessness, the center provides compassionate care and facilitates adoptions for animals in need of loving homes. Find your new companion and help support their mission of humane care and responsible pet ownership.
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Noteworthy
The Janet Goeske Foundation invites volunteers to spread mulch and share the love at its senior center garden this Saturday, August 8, from 7–11 a.m.; tools and extra hands welcome.
RTA is seeking public input on its Bus Stop Enhancement Plan through an online survey, open to riders and non-riders alike, even after recent in-person and virtual meetings concluded.
CicloRiverside kicks off its Ambassador Program with a community meeting Thursday, August 27, 6–7:30 p.m. at 3850 Vine Street, ahead of the city's first open-streets event.
What's Happening in Riverside
Friday, August 7
- Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
- Volunteer Interest Hour at Riverside Meals on Wheels
- Reading Assistance Program (RAP) at My Learning Studio ($57)
- Multiplication Madness (MM) at My Learning Studio ($57)
- Creative Arts at My Learning Studio ($57)
- FREE YOGA - The Evolution of Ashtanga with Kristin Varner at Community Yoga Center
- Jo Jo Jorge Falcon at Fox Performing Arts Center
- Murder Mystery Co. Dinner Theater Show at The Old Spaghetti Factory ($69)
Saturday, August 8
- Low-Cost Vaccination Clinic at Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center's Spay-Neuter Clinic ($10- $28)
- Reading Comprehension Group at My Learning Studio ($57)
- Reading Foundational Skills (RFS) at My Learning Studio ($196)
- Goeske Bingo at Janet Goeske Center ($20- $100)
- Casino Night with CARE at Riverside Airport Cafe ($50)
- FREE YOGA - The Art of Vinyasa with Catherine Murray at Community Yoga Center
- FREE YOGA - Yin Yoga with Kristin Varner at Community Yoga Center
- Joyas Prestadas - The Jenni Rivera Tribute Band at Fox Performing Arts Center
- Off the Block on the Screen at Culver Center of the Arts
- Summer-Ween RIP Summer Comedy Sip and Paint Event at BACK TO THE GRIND ($23.18)
- Surely Tempo - Garden Room at Riverside Municipal Auditorium
Sunday, August 9
- Bingo at Temple Beth El Social Hall ($25)
- Prayers and Public Information Meeting at Riverside Baha'i Center
- Sunday Experiment After Dark at Downtown Experiment
Save the Date
- August 10: FREE YOGA - Moody Mondays with Cherie Amour at Community Yoga Center
- August 10: Interfaith Prayer Meeting at Riverside Baha'i Center
- August 12: FREE YOGA - Seated Yoga with Kristin Varner at All Saints Episcopal Church
- August 14: Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
- September 9: Beginning Square Dance Lessons with Line Dancing at Cowtown Square Dance Center
- October 7: Fifty & Better Health Fair at Janet Goeske Center
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