LA HABRA : Don’t Be Shy About Making a Left Turn

Motorists wanting to make a left-hand turn off Lambert Road should not wait until the turn arrow appears. If they do, it could be a long wait.

The left-turn signals at two Lambert Road intersections only work when more than three vehicles are waiting in the left-hand turn lanes.

Many motorists, unaware of this fact, have spent several minutes waiting in vain for the arrows to light up.

Dozens of people have complained to the city, wondering if the signals at Harbor Boulevard and Euclid Street were broken.

As a result, traffic engineers want to get the word out that motorists don’t need to wait for the arrow.

Officials said it is legal to make a left turn on a green light as long as there is no oncoming traffic.

“People call up and tell us, ‘There’s something wrong with your signals,’ ” Leo Ingram, a city traffic engineering aide, said. “It causes them a lot of frustration, but nothing is wrong with them.”

He said the traffic signals were updated last year to create a smoother traffic flow. “They help move traffic along expeditiously,” Ingram said.

“People are concerned because they don’t know when to turn, so we are trying to make people aware that left turns are permitted when the light is green and it’s safe to do so,” he added.