Letter: U-turns on San Fernando Boulevard are a hazard

I am downtown at various times of day virtually every day. I observe and often times encounter drivers completing U-turns on San Fernando Boulevard, crossing the double lines in order to park on the opposite side of the street. This happens mid-block between Olive/Orange Grove/Palm and Magnolia. This makes exiting a parking spot difficult when the car on the same side of the street is waiting behind to pull into the spot about to be vacated while a car on the opposite side of the street makes a U-turn across the double lines, cutting off the car waiting to occupy the vacated parking spot.

This behavior is inconsiderate and dangerous and occurs many times a day, every day. I’m only one person and spend only an hour or two on San Fernando for each visit and I observe this infraction. So, I’m sure many others throughout the day observe the same offense.

I know the police have competing priorities and budget constraints preventing a significant commitment of staff time to downtown San Fernando traffic infractions, but there has to be some effort to abate this problem. The city is vigilant in ticketing parking violations. Could the city utilize the staff monitoring parking to photograph and report U-turn violation or increase the number of high-visibility U-turn violation signs and, like the high occupancy lane signs on the freeways, indicate the amount of the fine? The city could also consider a low and flexible barrier following the double lines down the middle of the street. This could deter some from making U-turns.

Bob Coontz

Burbank