Concrete Wall in Middle of Freeway Is Not Safe Solution

Dear Street Smart:

The interchange where the Ventura and San Diego freeways meet is a circus at the best of times, even after the recent “improvements.”

However, there is one spot that is bound to lead, sooner or later, to an accident of cataclysmic proportions.

Cars traveling east on the Ventura Freeway come out of a sharp curve as they cross the San Diego Freeway. Then they are suddenly confronted on their left by slower traffic in a feeder lane from the southbound San Diego Freeway.

A thick white line is the only thing that separates this feeder lane from the Ventura Freeway’s fast lane. Cars in the feeder lane are not supposed to cross it until they have come up to freeway speed and can merge safely when the solid line disappears.

However, this rarely happens. I have seen any number of near-misses in which a vehicle going 30 m.p.h. moves suddenly into the fast lane. Other drivers must jam on their brakes or swerve into another lane to avoid a collision.

Wouldn’t it be prudent to replace this white line with a low concrete dividing wall, removing the temptation to merge too soon?

Philip J. Taylor, Woodland Hills

Dear Reader:

The Valley does not need an accident of cataclysmic proportions.

And you’re not exaggerating because an awful lot of motorists could be affected by a collision at this site. According to Caltrans, the San Diego-Ventura freeway interchange is the fourth-busiest in the nation, carrying an average 517,000 vehicles a day.

As a result of your letter, Caltrans sent its engineers to review the trouble spot.

Sure enough, the agency concluded that new safety measures are indeed needed. Within the next few months, says Caltrans spokesman Russell Snyder, the agency will install new merging-traffic warning signs and will widen the solid white line between lanes.

In addition, Caltrans will place reflectors and raised pavement markers along the line to discourage drivers from merging too soon.

These measures should make this a safer merging zone. But Caltrans rejected the solid divider you suggested.

“You’d be putting a concrete barrier in the middle of the freeway between cars going in the same direction,” says Snyder. “It would not be safe.”

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Dear Street Smart:

Who, if anyone, regulates the timing on left-turn signals?

There is a traffic signal with a left-turn arrow that allows southbound drivers on Winnetka Avenue to turn east onto Ventura Boulevard. When I use this intersection during early weekday afternoons, the arrow allows only two or three cars through before it turns yellow.

Cars are nearly always backed up behind this ridiculously short light.

What can be done?

Erica Simmons, Encino

Dear Reader:

The city of Los Angeles regulates the timing of this signal.

City workers recently spent about 45 minutes watching traffic at this corner, and they think they’ve identified the culprits who cause the backups.

They put the blame on drivers going east on Ventura Boulevard, who run the red light to make a left turn and head north on Winnetka. Some are undoubtedly in a hurry to reach the Ventura Freeway, just north of this corner.

The drivers turning during a red light are stealing precious green-arrow time from the Winnetka drivers, who must wait for the intersection to clear.

So the city workers decided to steal back that time. Brian Gallagher, a city transportation engineer, said a crew was assigned last week to change the midday timing so that Winnetka’s left-turn arrow gets an extra three seconds--which were taken from Ventura Boulevard’s green light time.

Because Winnetka has two left-turn lanes, “That may give us time to clear another four cars,” Gallagher says. When there’s no backup on Winnetka, the extra green-light time will revert to Ventura Boulevard, he says.

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Dear Street Smart:

On Oct. 25, you published a letter about a driver who received a ticket because his infant son was not riding in a child safety seat. I know you’ve published a telephone number that people can call whenever they see someone failing to comply with the child restraint law, known as the “4-40 Rule.”

I cannot find that clipping. Please publish the number again.

Patricia Rivera, Lake View Terrace

Dear Reader:

We’re happy to comply. And we’re glad you brought up the subject because a couple of readers--April Turner of Granada Hills and Karen Brown of Woodland Hills--let us know that our Oct. 25 explanation of the child-seat law could have been clearer.

State law says any child under 4 years old or weighing less than 40 pounds must ride in an approved safety seat. But as our readers reminded us, you can receive a ticket for violating either provision.

In other words, a 3-year-old who weighs 50 pounds still must ride in a child seat. A 5-year-old who weighs 35 pounds must do the same.

Now, to respond to your original request: If you see what appears to be a violation of the child-seat law, call SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. at (310) 673-2666 or toll-free at (800) 745-SAFE.

This nonprofit agency will send you a form on which you can write the violator’s license number and, if possible, the make and color of the vehicle. Return it, and the agency will relay the information to the California Highway Patrol.

The CHP, in turn, will send a warning letter to the car’s registered owner. SafetyBeltSafe’s executive director, Stephanie M. Tombrello, says she’s heard from many grateful parents who did not know a baby-sitter or another family member was disobeying the child-seat law.

Incidentally, Tombrello says her group is looking for volunteers, particularly bilingual ones, to assist with the group’s national Helpline. If you’re interested, call one of the numbers listed above.

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Dear Street Smart:

I moved to Sherman Oaks about a month ago. Every morning, from 6:30 to 9:30, the intersection of Beverly Glen Boulevard and Dickens Street is an absolute nightmare.

Cars get stuck in the intersection when the light turns red. More than one car tries to turn onto Beverly Glen at the same time, and so on.

Obviously, I don’t expect the city to prevent cars from using Beverly Glen as a commuter route (though it would be nice).

But I wonder if there aren’t some steps that could relieve the congestion, such as posting signs that say “Do Not Block Intersection” or making it illegal to turn right on red from 7 to 9 a.m. from Dickens onto Beverly Glen.

Karen A. Mishkin, Sherman Oaks

Dear Reader:

There are at least three reasons for this recurring congestion, says Al Albaisa of the city’s Department of Transportation.

First, there are two other traffic signals very close to this corner (at Ventura Boulevard and Valley Vista Boulevard). Second, this is a rather narrow street carrying a large number of cars. And finally, this street has its share of discourteous drivers who insist on muscling their way into traffic.

Nevertheless, the city will consider the signs and turning restrictions you proposed. If you write to Albaisa, he will assign someone to find out if these ideas would help.

Send your letter to him at the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, 6320 Van Nuys Blvd., Suite 506, Van Nuys, CA 91401.