One-Way Streets Get a Hearing


By C.V. Beck

On June 20, there was a hearing at Penmar Park Gym in the matter of one way streets being proposed for eastbound on Olympic and westbound on Pico Boulevards. This hearing was presented by the Westside Democratic Club and sparsely attended with about 30 persons in attendance. Len Nguyen was present from the councilman's office and Allyn Rifkin, Transportation Planner/ Engineer presented the concepts which seemed to me like a good idea except for the “contraflow lane proposals”, which I felt were sort of tricky.


Key features are: Olympic is proposed to be eastbound, Pico westward bound, in a clockwise circulation pattern. Each arterial to be striped for a minimum of 7 lanes, 5 in the “main” direction, 2 in the contraflow direction...During weekday peak hours, contraflow lanes are to be exclusively for buses and vanpools. All other times, including all day weekends, the “contraflow” land is to be open to parking and local mixed flow traffic. In the “contraflow” land, mixed flow traffic, with the exception of buses, will be required to make right turns at designated locations. “Main direction” traffic lanes open to mixed flow traffic, which includes autos, buses and vanpools. Parking will be prohibited on both sides of each of these boulevards during peak hours only. All other times, including all day on weekends, parking will be allowed on both sides of the boulevards. Left turns will be prohibited from the “main” direction traffic lanes only during peak hours. Left turns prohibited from “contraflow” lanes at all times. Emergency vehicles will have access to both “main” direction and “contraflow” lanes at all times.

Opposing ideas are that faster traffic equals worse and less safe traffic, for pedestrians and bicyclists, harder to cross without a median, local merchants hate “fast traffic drive bys.” A yellow flyer asked about where was the EIR (environmental impact report) on this proposal. Also the question was raised about faster traffic in this area creating “turbulence” in other areas...Other good questions were: Whose benefit is this for anyway? How much is this going to cost and for how much benefit? Also suggested were much less left hand turns, use of “smart lights” and focussing of mixed use redevelopment on major streets like Pico and Olympic and locating jobs, shopping and entertainment next to housing.

The gym reeked of sweat, someone kept closing the doors to cross ventilation. Most people seemed opposed to this “radical” idea of one-way streets in Los Angeles. I, myself, think it is a long overdue idea, as one way streets are and have been in use all over the world. I believe that particularly in this area proposed, this will be helpful in getting the traffic to move instead of resembling a parking lot or an oil painting.

Posted: Sun - July 1, 2007 at 06:17 PM          

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