Meeting Called to Settle Route Dispute

Los Angeles City Councilman Zev Yaroslavksy has called for a community meeting to settle a dispute over his controversial plan to block a popular rush hour escape route used by motorists seeking to avoid a congested Studio City intersection.

Yaroslavsky called for a meeting after a throng of residents criticized the plan Tuesday during a meeting of the Studio City Residents Assn. Opponents of the plan also criticized the association’s leadership for voting to support it earlier this month.

Under the plan, left turns would be prohibited from northbound Laurel Canyon Boulevard onto Laurel Terrace Drive and Maxwellton and Viewcrest roads from 4 to 7 p.m.

Yaroslavksy said he devised the plan after residents of the area, known as the Laurel Terrace triangle, said their streets were becoming unsafe. Motorists often use the route to avoid the intersection of Ventura and Laurel Canyon boulevards.

“This is an issue of safety and tranquillity,” the councilman said. “This is not a popularity contest. It’s a specific problem that needs to be solved.”

But members of the nearby Briarcliff Improvement Assn. and a faction of the Studio City group say the changes will result in a severe traffic backup on already congested Laurel Canyon Boulevard, and that many people who live in the triangle also oppose the restrictions.

No date has been set for the meeting, which would include input from police, transportation officials and area residents.

But Yaroslavsky said he is confident that a solution can be reached. Tougher problems have been solved, he added.

“I think if Rabin and Arafat can get together, then Laurel Terrace and Briarcliff can get together,” Yaroslavsky quipped. “I’m going to try to play the Norwegian foreign minister.”