Whittier : Residents Seek Relief From Heavy Traffic on Mar Vista

An overflow crowd of 125 packed the Whittier City Council chamber this week to hear an impassioned plea from residents of Mar Vista Street for a solution to traffic problems on the busy thoroughfare.

“We’re asking you to stop this terrible traffic problem that is ruining our residential neighborhood,” said resident Burton Arrington, president of a local homeowners association.

Mar Vista is a heavily used east-west route that offers commuters a quick path between busy Colima Road on the east and Whittier Boulevard west of the city. On the way, it cuts through residential neighborhoods.

“We believe there are real and serious health hazards to which our fellow citizens are being unduly exposed to because of the increasing traffic traversing our . . . neighborhood,” resident Robert Halliday said.

Halliday presented results of a homeowners study claiming that noise pollution levels along Mar Vista exceed federal guidelines for residential areas. He said the traffic also poses a safety risk, pollutes their neighborhoods, threatens property values and makes it difficult to get in and out of driveways.

Council members directed staff to look for solutions, including closing parts of Mar Vista during rush hours, installing speed bumps and asking Los Angeles County officials for help. They also cautioned residents not to expect a quick cure.

“There isn’t a nice, clean solution to this problem,” Councilwoman Helen McKenna-Rahder said.