Council Panel Prescribes Tough Gridlock Remedy

Hoping to ease the rush-hour hardening of transportation arteries, a Los Angeles City Council committee Wednesday prescribed immediate, aggressive enforcement of an anti-gridlock state law scheduled to take effect Jan. 1.

Calling for a task force of motorcycle officers to ensure enforcement, the council’s Transportation and Traffic Committee recommended 84 intersections where the law would apply. Signs would be posted at these points warning motorists: “Do Not Block Intersection.”

The list of intersections is expected to grow when the full council considers the measure next week. Councilman Michael Woo and a representative for Councilman Zev Yaroslavksy said the list prepared by the Department of Transportation omitted some problem intersections. The city administrative office estimated that about 125 intersections would ultimately be posted.

The state law, authored by Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sepulveda), prohibits motorists from entering intersections or marked crosswalks unless there is space on the other side of the intersection that would allow the motorist to cross. Specific enforcement provisions are left up to California cities.

Face Fines

First-time violators will face fines totaling $50 to $100, second-time offenders $100 to $200 fines and further offenses could trigger fines from $200 to $500, plus a 30-day driver’s license suspension. However, motorists who do not contest citations will be able to pay lower bail, an amount that has yet to be determined.

Woo urged immediate, high-profile enforcement of the new law, saying a “grace period” is unnecessary because of extensive publicity and motorist education efforts by police. The committee backed plans for a 15-officer force to patrol the posted intersections for a two- to four-month period.

Councilman Nate Holden, chairman of the committee, also urged the task force to target pedestrians who exacerbate gridlock by jaywalking against “Don’t Walk” signals.

At the same time, Holden said that the fines may be too high and voiced concern that elderly drivers and tourists might fall victim.

“Those fines are really expensive. Sometimes it’s just a judgment call,” he said.

The city administrative office estimated that the enforcement would generate between $300,000 and $600,000 in revenues.

FIGHTING GRIDLOCK IN 84 INTERSECTIONS The 84 intersections targeted for the anti-gridlock law are:

Aliso and Los Angeles streets.

Aliso and Main streets.

Aliso and Spring streets.

Aliso and Alameda streets.

Avenue 20 and North Broadway.

Long Beach Freeway on- and off-ramps and Valley Boulevard.

18th Street and Grand Avenue.

1st and Olive streets.

1st and Hill streets.

1st and Broadway.

1st and Spring streets.

1st and Main streets.

1st and Los Angeles streets.

3rd and spring streets.

3rd and Broadway.

5th and Spring streets.

6th and Figueroa streets.

6th and Grand Avenue.

6th and Olive.

7th Street and Figueroa.

8th Street and Figueroa.

8th and Spring streets.

9th Street and Figueroa.

Temple Street and Main.

Temple and Spring.

Temple and Grand.

Temple and Hope Street and Santa Ana Freeway southbound on-ramp.

Temple and Hollywood Freeway southbound off-ramp.

Wilshire Boulevard and Figueroa.

Broadway and 7th.

Broadway and 6th.

Broadway and 5th.

Alpine Street and Broadway.

College Street and Broadway.

Olympic Boulevard and Flower Street.

Olympic and Grand.

Olympic and Olive.

Olympic and Hill.

Olympic and Broadway.

Olympic and Spring.

Anaheim Street and Figueroa Place (Harbor Freeway southbound off-ramp).

Harbor Freeway southbound off-ramp and Pacific Coast Highway.

Vernon Avenue and Harbor Freeway ramp.

Franklin and Highland avenues.

Santa Monica Boulevard and Western Avenue.

Vermont Avenue and Hollywood Freeway northbound on- and off-ramps.

Beverly and La Cienega boulevards.

Silver Lake Boulevard, Temple and Virgil Avenue.

Exposition Boulevard and Figueroa and 37th Street.

Hillhurst Avenue, Hollywood and Sunset boulevards and Virgil.

Fairfax Avenue and Olympic and San Vicente boulevards.

La Cienega and Rodeo Road.

Western and Wilshire.

Wilshire and Gayley Avenue.

Wilshire and Westwood Boulevard.

Wilshire and Glendon Avenue.

Wilshire and Veteran Avenue.

Santa Monica Boulevard and Cotner Avenue, including on- and off-ramps to the San Diego Freeway.

Santa Monica and Beloit Avenue, including on- and off-ramps to the San Diego Freeway.

Santa Monica and Sepulveda Boulevard.

Olympic and Cotner.

Ventura and Sepulveda boulevards.

Ventura and Van Nuys boulevards.

Ventura and Beverly Glen boulevards.

Ventura and Coldwater Canyon Avenue.

Barham and Cahuenga boulevards.

East Barham and Cahuenga.

West Lankershim Boulevard and northbound Hollywood Freeway off-ramp.

Tampa Avenue and eastbound Ventura Freeway off-ramp.

Roscoe Boulevard and Haskell Avenue.

San Fernando Road and Sunland Boulevard.

Balboa Boulevard and Rinaldi Street.

Tampa and 118 Freeway eastbound on-ramp.

Nordhoff Street and Aqueduct Avenue.

Nordhoff and Lindley Avenue.

Burbank Boulevard and San Diego Freeway northbound and southbound on- and off-ramps.

De Soto Avenue and Devonshire Street.

De Soto and Chatsworth Street.

Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Devonshire.

Topanga Canyon and Chatsworth.

Ventura and Haskell.

Ventura and Hayvenhurst Avenue.

Ventura and Balboa.

Ventura and White Oak Avenue