Anti-Gridlock Traffic Law

The city’s “bold, new” anti-gridlock law attacks a growing Los Angeles problem with a pea shooter aimed at the wrong target.

By scapegoating and punishing drivers who block intersections, city politicians apparently hope to relieve some of the traffic pressure caused by continuing major development in already crowded areas and disarm an embattled and enraged private citizenry.

In spite of recent legislation which, city politicos profess, is intended to control unreasonable growth and resultant traffic increases, an amazing number of new high-rise buildings, mini- and maxi-malls and high-density developments replacing old, lower-density projects continue to be built. The result has been a huge increase in volume of traffic through many of the city’s sorely taxed streets and intersections, with much more to come.

It is deceitful and a distortion to blame drivers for the burgeoning traffic congestion in our city. Have we not had enough of lip service to true city planning? We should now expect the city to uphold all its wonderful new growth-control laws and perhaps make red herrings, like the anti-gridlock law, ultimately unnecessary.

ALLAN RABINOWITZ

Los Angeles