Laurel Terrace Not Private

Laurel Terrace connects the residents of the Valley with Laurel Canyon and Ventura Boulevard. It is a public street and an integral part of the East Valley’s circulation pattern.

What it is not is a private street, little by little being removed from public use.

Thanks to Councilman Joel Wachs, Laurel Terrace was never turned into a cul-de-sac. First came the stop signs to discourage irresponsible driving speeds. That was a warranted move. Their use was also to discourage public use of Laurel Terrace.

Then came the signals and striping of the intersection at Laurel Terrace, Ventura Boulevard and Whitsett Avenue, all designed to do only one thing--discourage public use of Laurel Terrace.

Increased traffic on Ventura Boulevard and potential local areawide gridlock are a result of these efforts.

Delays and backup are additionally and deliberately being created by not allowing westbound traffic to exit Laurel Terrace with its own left-turn arrow when the only other movement is eastbound from Whitsett Avenue. Why? Clearing the left-turn lane on Laurel Terrace would also allow traffic on Sunswept Drive to enter Laurel Terrace.

Why isn’t this special avoidance of circulation improvement corrected?

The latest straw (the camel’s back was broken a long time ago) is the ban on right turns from 7 to 9 a.m. from eastbound Ventura Boulevard onto Laurel Terrace.

What is so special about Laurel Terrace?

HOWARD RAPHAEL, Sherman Oaks